Hail in Capitol · Jul 16, 2026
The estimated-size surface reached 0.5" aloft; NEXRAD logged no point detections over Capitol that day. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · Jul 16, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 6th most severe storm Capitol has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Peak hail signal
- 13 /100
- Homes exposed
- 10 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest radar-indicated size — a signal of damage potential, not confirmation.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
Evidence / storm surfaces
How Capitol saw the hail — from two instruments
Two instruments, one storm: NEXRAD logs the point signatures it detected overhead, while the estimated-size surface models how large the hail aloft could have grown. Agreement between them is not guaranteed — the gaps are where the model ran ahead of, or behind, the detections.
Estimated size field Radar-estimated maximum hail size across the swath, modeled from radar aloft. It reflects the biggest stone the storm could support, which may differ from what actually fell.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for Jul 16, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Capitol, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where Jul 16, 2026 sits in Capitol's hail record.
This was Capitol's 3rd recorded hail day, arriving 14 days after the Jul 2, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 6th of the 6 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Capitol at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The Jul 16, 2026 convective day was bigger than Capitol: the same system put hail over 206 other tracked cities, 40 of them in Montana. Nearest: Buffalo (28 miles northeast, up to 0.75"); Belle Fourche (35 miles south, up to 0.75"); Alva (55 miles south, up to 0.5").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 6 Capitol storm dates on a live map — both surfaces, the reports, and a replay — and the same map is where you draw the swath. This page rebuilds nightly.
Ground reports
What people on the ground reported
These are storm reports filed with the National Weather Service and released through the NOAA Storm Prediction Center — public-domain observations from spotters, the public, and NWS surveys. We quote each one exactly as filed.
No ground reports were filed with the National Weather Service for this storm over Capitol. That is common: a report depends on someone being there to see it and take the time to call it in. The radar surfaces above are the record here — the storm was detected from above even though no one on the ground logged it.
Below the severe threshold
What 0.5" hail means for Capitol roofs.
Radar signals under three-quarters of an inch stay below the National Weather Service severe threshold and generally indicate lower roof risk. Older or already-worn materials can still show effects, but radar alone cannot determine whether a specific roof was damaged.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$24K
Potential roof exposure — 2 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
Claim window
July 2028
Claims from this storm can typically be filed until around July 2028 — the window to reach these homeowners while it's still open. Deadlines vary by policy and state.
Names and phones for every home in the footprint: at most $0 on top of the $150 plan.
Capitol hail history
Other storms in Capitol.
Aug 30, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Aug 11, 2026
2.25"
Estimated-size surface Jul 28, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 27, 2026
1.75"The next storm won’t wait for you.
Set your territory and alerts today. When hail hits, use Overview to choose your streets and get moving.
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