6,344 Storm Events: Pennsylvania's Year in Numbers
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-09-24 · Updated 2026-09-24
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.
Pennsylvania logged 6,344 storm events in the 12 months through August 25, 2026 across all 67 counties. This data recap breaks the year down by hazard type, peak days like July 4, 2026, top counties led by Allegheny, and magnitude records including radar-estimated 2.83-inch hail and an 81 mph gust value.
Pennsylvania recorded 6,344 storm events in the 12 months through August 25, 2026. That count spans all 67 counties. It breaks down into 3,087 wind events, 1,845 hail events, 1,209 flood events, and 206 tornado events. Each entry is an estimate built from the public weather record, not a claim about damage at any one address. Here is the year, pulled apart by day, county, and magnitude.
What a year of Pennsylvania storm data contains
Wind leads the ledger, at 3,087 events. Hail follows with 1,845. Flooding adds 1,209 entries, and tornado activity contributes 206. These are event records drawn from warnings, spotter reports, and radar signatures across the Commonwealth.
The detail window (November 28, 2025 through August 25, 2026) tells a seasonal story too. December 2025 produced 13 events. March 2026 then jumped to 180, the busiest month in the nine-month detail window. April followed with 63 and May with 66. Spring arrives fast in Pennsylvania.
The single biggest storm days
A handful of dates carried an outsized share of the year's activity. July 4, 2026 tops the list with 387 events involving flood, hail, and wind. June 14, 2026 is close behind at 361 events, and that day produced all four hazard types, tornado included.
Four more days stand out. June 11, 2026 logged 298 events. July 18, 2026 logged 294, again with all four hazard types. July 5, 2026 added 266, and June 6, 2026 added 243. Does a Pennsylvania roof problem trace back to June or July 2026? These dates are strong starting points for date-of-loss weather research.
Peak magnitudes: how big and how fast
Hail first. The largest radar-estimated hail size of the period was 2.83 inches, on April 15, 2026. Three separate days reached a radar-estimated 2.81 inches: March 12, July 24, and August 1, 2026. May 25, 2026 reached 2.80 inches. All of these sizes come from MRMS MESH radar estimates, and all clear the NWS significant-severe threshold of 2.00 inches.
Wind peaks were just as notable. The strongest gust value in the dataset was 81 mph on July 3, 2026. March 13, 2026 reached 79 mph, and June 11, 2026 hit 78 mph. August 10, 2026 saw 75 mph, while December 30, 2025 recorded 73 mph. Every one of these exceeds the NWS severe gust criterion of 58 mph.
The county layer under the totals
Allegheny County leads the 12-month county table with 188 events, 126 of them rated high or severe in StormAuditor's event classification. Westmoreland follows at 179 events. Three counties tied at 172: Bucks, Washington, and Clearfield. Bucks stands out because 153 of its 172 events carried StormAuditor's high or severe event rating — the highest such count in the table. Lancaster logged 171 events, Philadelphia 166, and Montgomery 165.
Western Pennsylvania shows up strongly in the nine-month detail window as well. Mercer County posted 27 events there, with radar-estimated hail to 1.75 inches. Venango matched that 1.75-inch hail mark across 13 events. Clearfield's detail-window peak gust value was 61 mph, and Berks reached 59 mph. The pattern is statewide: Pittsburgh-area counties, the Philadelphia collar, and rural central counties all appear in the top tiers.
How StormAuditor estimates it
StormAuditor's SAWE-2 wind engine and SAHE-2 hail engine blend NWS warnings, ground reports, and MRMS radar data into address-level estimates. Every output is an estimate of the public weather record — a research starting point, not a damage determination. The full approach is documented at /methodology/wind and /methodology/hail.
Using these numbers as a homeowner or contractor
Start with the date, not the damage. If you know roughly when a leak or shingle problem appeared, check it against the big storm days above. A free report snapshot shows whether screening-level activity was estimated near a specific address. Screening here means wind of 45 mph or more, or hail of 0.75 inch or more.
Contractors canvassing Pennsylvania should note the county table. Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Bucks each logged well over 170 events in the 12 months through August 25, 2026. An address lookup narrows a county-level signal down to a single property before anyone climbs a ladder.
Adjusters can work the same data in reverse. A date of loss on June 14 or July 4, 2026 sits inside the year's two busiest event days. That context helps frame an inspection.
Notable storm days
- July 4, 2026 — statewide — 387 events, flood, hail, and wind
- June 14, 2026 — statewide — 361 events across all four hazard types
- July 3, 2026 — statewide peak — gust value of 81 mph, wind
- April 15, 2026 — statewide peak — radar-estimated 2.83-inch hail
- June 11, 2026 — statewide — 298 events, with a 78 mph gust value
- March 13, 2026 — statewide peak — gust value of 79 mph, wind
- August 1, 2026 — statewide peak — radar-estimated 2.81-inch hail
- December 30, 2025 — statewide peak — gust value of 73 mph, wind
Limitations
Every figure on this page is an estimate of the public weather record. Radar-estimated hail sizes are MRMS MESH values, not ground measurements. Gust values reflect the strongest estimate recorded for a day, not conditions at every address. Event counts depend on where warnings were issued and where reports were filed, so populated counties can appear more active than remote ones. None of this establishes what happened to a specific structure — an on-site inspection does that. Read more at /limitations.
FAQ
How many storm events did Pennsylvania have in the 12 months through August 25, 2026?
The dataset shows 6,344 events statewide: 3,087 wind, 1,845 hail, 1,209 flood, and 206 tornado.
What was the biggest hail day in Pennsylvania in 2026 through August 25?
April 15, 2026 produced the period's largest radar-estimated hail at 2.83 inches. Three other days reached a radar-estimated 2.81 inches.
Which Pennsylvania county had the most storm events?
Allegheny County led with 188 events over 12 months. Westmoreland followed with 179, and Bucks, Washington, and Clearfield each logged 172.
Did Allegheny County see severe weather in summer 2026?
Allegheny's 12-month record includes 126 events rated high or severe by StormAuditor. The state's busiest days — July 4 and June 14, 2026 — both fell in early summer.
What was the strongest wind gust recorded in Pennsylvania?
The top gust value in the period was 81 mph on July 3, 2026. That is well above the NWS severe criterion of 58 mph.
How do I check a specific Pennsylvania address for storm activity?
Run the address through StormAuditor's address lookup. It returns estimated wind and hail activity for the dates that matter to your property.