Hail in Sparta May 20, 2026
The radar-estimated size surface caught this storm, reaching 0.5" aloft. NEXRAD logged no point detections over Sparta this day.
0.5"
≈ pea to penny · radar-estimated size aloft276
0
none filedThe 3rd most severe storm Sparta has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Hail size
- 13 /100
- Homes exposed
- 49 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest hailstone — the top predictor of roof damage.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
How Sparta saw the hail — from two instruments
We map this storm two ways: the NEXRAD radar signatures the storm produced overhead, and the radar-estimated size of the hail in the air. The two surfaces don’t have to match — where they diverge is where estimated size aloft ran ahead of, or behind, what the signatures caught.
Maximum hail size as estimated from radar aloft. Treat it as the storm's ceiling — the largest supportable stone — rather than a ground measurement.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for May 20, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Sparta, so there is one map to show, not two.
Where May 20, 2026 sits in Sparta's hail record
This was Sparta's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 49 days after the Apr 1, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 3rd of the 5 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Sparta at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The May 20, 2026 convective day was bigger than Sparta: the same system put hail over 109 other tracked cities, 12 of them in Tennessee. Nearest: Monterey (22 miles northeast, up to 0.5"); Gainesboro (24 miles northwest, up to 0.75"); Whitleyville (32 miles northwest, up to 0.75").
These maps are stills from Sparta's May 20, 2026 storm. In the Overview app the same surfaces are live — radar updating in real time, radar-estimated hail size as it forms, and NWS spotter reports pinned where they're filed — with a radar replay you can scrub back over any past day.
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.
For this storm over Sparta, the NWS report log is empty — a common outcome, since ground reports only happen when someone witnesses the hail and takes the time to call it in. The detection record for the date lives in the radar maps above.
What 0.5" hail means for Sparta roofs
Hail under three-quarters of an inch stays below the National Weather Service severe threshold and rarely breaks shingles outright. But repeated small-hail events accelerate granule loss and shorten roof life — on older roofs, it's still worth a conversation.
$3.3M
Potential roof exposure — 276 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.Track hail over Sparta on the live map
Radar updates in real time, spotter reports appear on the map as they're filed, and the full Sparta storm history — this May 20, 2026 storm included — sits underneath. When you're ready, draw this storm's footprint and pull highly accurate homeowner contact information for every address inside it.
Highly accurate contact information starting at $0.23 per address — every contact included. Digital leads cost $15–$40. Start with a 7-day free trial — no credit card required. See pricing
5 recorded storm days in Sparta, TN
Other storms in Sparta
Jul 17, 2026
0.5"Jul 5, 2026
1.25"
Jul 3, 2026
2"Apr 1, 2026
0.75"