Utah Radar vs. Ground Reports: Hail and Mountain Wind

By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-09-30 · Updated 2026-09-30

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.

On August 29, 2026, radar estimated Utah hail to 3.67 inches while the largest ground report was 1.75 inches. Here is how radar, reports, and mountain wind sensors compare in the 12 months through September 24, 2026.

On August 29, 2026, NOAA's MRMS radar estimated hail up to 3.67 inches somewhere in Utah. The largest ground report that day was 1.75 inches, from an NWS storm survey near Lynndyl. That gap sits at the center of any Utah radar vs. ground reports comparison: two honest records of the same storm day that rarely land on the same number.

This recap uses StormAuditor's data for the 12 months through September 24, 2026 to show where the two records line up, where they split, and how to use both at one address.

Utah's record in one window

In the 12 months through September 24, 2026, StormAuditor's public-record tally counts 2,988 storm events in Utah, with all 29 counties represented. Wind dominates at 2,021 entries. Hail follows at 521, flood at 471, and tornado at 13. The type counts are tallied separately, so they add up to a little more than the headline total.

Utah's evidence mix is worth a look. In the same window, 1,428 entries sit at the "observed" level and 1,320 at the "warning" level, with 237 "reported" and 41 from official backfill. In Utah, observed entries outnumber warning entries, so warnings alone do not tell the story here.

The busiest days lean toward cold-season wind. May 13, 2026 led the window with 237 events (hail and wind). December 17, 2025 followed with 221, all wind. February 16, 2026 (174), February 17, 2026 (131), and March 14, 2026 (123) came next, also wind only. Four of the five busiest days in the 12 months through September 24, 2026 had no hail entries at all.

By county, Tooele led that window with 387 events in StormAuditor's tally. Salt Lake followed at 246, Box Elder at 196, then Kane and Utah at 154 each, Washington at 139, Cache at 133, and Weber at 130.

Hail: when radar runs bigger than ground reports

Among the ten highest radar hail days in the 12 months through September 24, 2026, seven also had ground hail reports. On every one of those seven, the statewide radar maximum ran above the largest report:

• August 29, 2026: radar 3.67 in; 5 ground reports, largest 1.75 in
• August 13, 2026: radar 2.95 in; 1 ground report, 1.0 in
• September 17, 2026: radar 2.84 in; 1 ground report, 1.5 in
• September 18, 2026: radar 2.65 in; 19 ground reports, largest 1.75 in
• September 16, 2026: radar 2.33 in; 4 ground reports, largest 1.0 in
• August 30, 2026: radar 2.31 in; 2 ground reports, largest 1.0 in
• September 22, 2026: radar 1.95 in; 1 ground report, 1.0 in

That pattern does not mean the radar was wrong. The radar maximum is the single highest value anywhere in the state that day; the largest report is whatever someone measured, wherever they stood. In Utah's open basins, a storm core can cross miles of country with nobody under it.

The reverse shows up too. The largest ground hail reports in the window, 1.75 inches in and near Taylorsville on June 25, 2026, came on a day that is not among the window's ten highest radar hail days.

Three high radar days had no ground support at all: September 12, 2026 (2.28 inches), September 11, 2026 (2.22 inches), and October 11, 2025 (2.12 inches), each a radar estimate with no ground reports that day.

Wind: mountain sensors and the gridded analysis

Utah's strongest measured gust reports in the 12 months through September 24, 2026 came from high-elevation mesonet sensors. Alta recorded 120 mph on December 17, 2025 and 107 mph on March 15, 2026. Sundance logged 103 mph on February 16, 2026, a sensor near Snowbird reached 100 mph on March 14, 2026, and Snowbasin logged 97 mph on February 18, 2026. Those are exposed mountain sites; a valley neighborhood below can see far less.

NOAA's gridded wind analysis is a different kind of number: an estimate on a grid, not a reading from a sensor. Its highest Utah values in the window were an estimated 90 mph on March 11, 2026 and December 28, 2025. Neither day has a measured gust report on record, and the highest measured station gusts were 41.4 mph and 40.3 mph. When analysis and measurements disagree that widely, the analysis figure deserves caution.

Other days line up better. On May 13, 2026, the analysis estimated 83 mph, a measured gust report reached 93 mph, and the highest station gust was 74.8 mph. February 16, 2026 paired an 84 mph analysis estimate with the 103 mph measured report at Sundance and a 64 mph station gust. Those measured values all clear the NWS severe-gust criterion of 58 mph.

Using both records at one Utah address

Start with the address and a date window, not the statewide peak:

1. Check for NWS warnings covering the address on the candidate dates.

2. Look at the radar hail estimate at or near the property, not the statewide maximum.

3. Find the nearest ground reports and note how far away they are.

4. For wind, note where each sensor sits. A ridge-top gust and a valley gust are different evidence.

County context helps set expectations. In NCEI records available through June 2026, Tooele leads Utah with 25 entries, followed by Box Elder (23), Salt Lake (18), Cache (15), and Weber (10). Away from the Wasatch Front, the radar line and the warning record often carry more of the story.

Where StormAuditor fits

StormAuditor's Utah storm data page collects the statewide view. For one property, Address Lookup shows NWS warnings, storm reports, and NOAA station observations for the address, free with an account. The Storm Map Dashboard lays out ground storm reports, warning county shading, and each ASOS/AWOS station's measured daily peak gust, day by day.

The Weather Report lists every qualifying storm date at an address with estimated peak gust, estimated maximum hail size, and the nearest measured evidence with distances. Its hail estimates come from SAHE-2, which uses MRMS MESH at the property (or within 1 mile) as the primary size; ground reports confirm occurrence and can raise the estimate when radar also supports the event, but report sizes are not carried beyond radar support. Wind estimates come from SAWE-2, which adjusts NOAA's analysis against that day's measured gusts; the hail methodology covers the hail side.

Limitations

• Every figure here is an estimate of the public weather record, not an on-site measurement or a damage determination.
• Radar hail values can differ from what reached the ground, especially over mountains where the beam samples high above the terrain.
• Mountain mesonet gusts describe exposed sites. Stations are spaced apart, and peak gusts between them can exceed reported values.
• NCEI figures lag by months and cover only records available through June 2026.
• StormAuditor shows what the weather record contains, not what caused any damage. See the limitations page.

FAQ

How many storm events did Utah have in the 12 months through September 24, 2026?

StormAuditor's public-record tally counts 2,988 storm events in Utah for that window, across all 29 counties. Wind accounts for 2,021 entries and hail for 521.

What was the largest hail reported in Utah?

In the 12 months through September 24, 2026, the largest ground hail reports were 1.75 inches, including reports in and near Taylorsville on June 25, 2026 and near Lynndyl on August 29, 2026. The highest radar estimate on a day with ground reports was 3.67 inches, on August 29, 2026.

Why is Utah radar hail bigger than the reports?

The radar figure is the highest value anywhere in the state that day, while reports come only from places where someone measured. In sparsely settled terrain, the largest hail can fall unobserved.

What was the strongest wind gust measured in Utah?

A mesonet sensor at Alta measured 120 mph on December 17, 2025, the strongest measured gust report in the 12 months through September 24, 2026. That reading comes from an exposed mountain site.

Which Utah county had the most storm events?

Tooele County led the 12 months through September 24, 2026 with 387 events in StormAuditor's tally. Salt Lake (246) and Box Elder (196) followed.