Recent Storms in Arizona: Wind, Hail and Top Days
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-08-10 · Updated 2026-10-07
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Damage-threshold ranges in this article are general guidance synthesized from industry and federal research — IBHS building-performance research, NWS severe criteria, and product standards such as UL 2218 (hail impact resistance) and ASTM D3161/D7158 (shingle wind ratings). Actual performance depends on product rating, age, installation quality, exposure, and impact characteristics — thresholds describe when damage becomes possible, not when it occurs.
Arizona logged 1,924 storm events in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026, in all 15 counties. Storm days ran into late September, gusts measured up to 98 mph, and the largest hail report was 2.00 in. near Apache Junction.
Arizona logged 1,924 storm events in StormAuditor's public-record tally for the 12 months ending October 7, 2026, in all 15 counties. Storm days ran into late September 2026: September 16 and September 29 each logged 70 events, and measured gusts reached 61 mph on September 13.
The year in numbers
Flood led the count with 922 events, followed by wind with 605, hail with 390 and tornado with 7 (tornado counts include warnings, not only confirmed tornadoes). In 2026 through early October, Arizona logged 12 hail days and 64 wind days at StormAuditor's screening thresholds (45 mph wind or 0.75-inch hail, from storm reports and station gusts; warnings alone never count).
Pima County led with 288 events, then Maricopa (221), Cochise (211), Yavapai (165), Coconino (150), Gila (147), Pinal (138) and Mohave (121).
The busiest days by event count, NWS warnings included, were October 12, 2025 (73 events), September 29, 2026 (70), September 16, 2026 (70), August 19, 2026 (55) and July 17, 2026 (49).
Notable storm days
- August 9, 2026 — a mesonet station 6 WNW Goodyear measured 84 mph, and hail reached 1.25 inches in the west Phoenix area (Goodyear storm day).
- August 27, 2026 — 86 mph measured 12 NW Patagonia in Santa Cruz County (Sahuarita storm day).
- August 29, 2026 — 80 mph measured 1 W Green Valley (Tucson storm day).
- July 11, 2026 — an airport weather station report 2 SE Tucson measured 81 mph (Tucson storm day).
- August 19, 2026 — hail to 1.75 inches 1 SW Whiteriver, with 1.50-inch hail 1 SSE Rio Rico and 1.25-inch hail east of Tucson.
- August 30, 2026 — 1.00-inch hail at Desert Hills in Mohave County, the most recent hail of 0.75 inch or larger.
- October 13, 2025 — 2.00-inch hail 2 S Apache Junction, the largest hail report in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026.
The strongest measured gust report in StormAuditor's Arizona data for the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 was 98 mph, 12 NW Patagonia, on January 10, 2026.
The NOAA record since 2010
From January 2010 through October 6, 2025, NCEI logged 2,827 entries in Arizona over 716 storm days: 2,214 thunderstorm wind reports and 528 hail reports. Storm days ranged from 34 in 2020 to 63 in 2022, and 2022–2024 averaged 54 a year, above the 15-year average of 45.
Hail and wind both peak in July, and July and September together hold 47% of the hail reports. The largest hail was 3.00 inches, on October 5, 2010 in Maricopa County. Measured thunderstorm gusts topped out at 107 mph in Apache County on August 23, 2010. NCEI also lists 85 tornado entries.
Event counts on this page come from StormAuditor's public-record tally: one event is one place on one day for each hazard type, and NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements count, so a busy warning day can outrank a day with bigger hail. The NOAA history figures come from the NCEI Storm Events Database, a separate, reviewed record with its own counting. The storm data page explains both.
Researching a date at an Arizona address
- The Arizona storm data page lists recent storm days, county totals and the NOAA history, with free CSV and JSON downloads.
- Address Lookup, free with an account, lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA station observations near any address.
- The Free Report Snapshot gives a YES or NO on whether estimated wind reached 45 mph or estimated hail reached 0.75 inch at the address.
- The $2.99 Single Weather Report lists every qualifying storm date at one address with the estimated peak gust and estimated maximum hail size.
Limitations
- Thunderstorm downbursts are narrow, and station networks can miss the peak between instruments.
- Radar hail (MESH) can under-estimate wet hail and over-estimate hail in very high reflectivity cores.
- Public records can change after publication. None of this is a damage determination or a finding of cause. See Limitations.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any recent storms in Arizona?
Yes. Storm days continued through late September 2026, with 70 events on both September 16 and September 29, and measured gusts of 61 mph on September 13 and 60 mph on September 12.
When was the last hail storm in Arizona?
The most recent hail of 0.75 inch or larger was 1.00 inch at Desert Hills in Mohave County on August 30, 2026. On August 19, 2026, hail reached 1.75 inches 1 SW Whiteriver.
What is the strongest recent wind gust in Arizona?
98 mph measured 12 NW Patagonia on January 10, 2026. During the 2026 monsoon, gusts reached 86 mph 12 NW Patagonia on August 27 and 84 mph 6 WNW Goodyear on August 9.
Which Arizona county has the most storm events?
Pima County, with 288 events in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026, ahead of Maricopa with 221.
What hail size is severe?
The National Weather Service severe criterion for hail is 1.00 inch (quarter size) or larger.