Hail & Wind Storms in Hickory, NC — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Hickory, North Carolina or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Hickory
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): August 11, 2026 — 1.25 in. reported 20.7 mi NW of Hickory (1 SSW Patterson), NWS Local Storm Report.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): August 17, 2026 — 64 mph measured at the Hickory Regional (ASOS) station (2.6 mi W of Hickory), ASOS weather station.
- 2026 so far: 2 hail days and 3 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| August 17, 2026 | — | 64 mph measured |
| August 11, 2026 | 1.25 in. reported | — |
| July 28, 2026 | 1.75 in. reported | 75 mph reported |
| February 7, 2026 | — | 49 mph measured |
Was your address hit on August 17, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Hickory storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 44 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Hickory, North Carolina or recorded for Catawba County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (23 wind, 21 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Hickory in the last 12 months was 75 mph, reported 6.9 mi E of Hickory (2 E Saint Stephens) on July 28, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The largest hail reported within 25 miles of Hickory in the last 12 months was 1.75 in., 23 mi NE of Hickory (4 NE Stony Point) on July 28, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report).
- The busiest day by event count near Hickory was July 28, 2026, with 8 events.
- Catawba County alone recorded 36 of those wind and hail events (21 wind, 15 hail); the North Carolina page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Hickory, North Carolina storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Hickory — home to about 44,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 44 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Hickory or recorded for Catawba County in the trailing 12 months — 23 wind and 21 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Hickory by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- July 28, 2026 — 8 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 4 hail
- September 18, 2026 — 5 events incl. warnings · 2 wind · 3 hail
- August 11, 2026 — 4 events incl. warnings · 1 wind · 3 hail
- July 10, 2026 — 4 events incl. warnings · 3 wind · 1 hail
- August 17, 2026 — 3 events incl. warnings · 2 wind · 1 hail
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report within 25 miles of Hickory showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Hickory or recorded for Catawba County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Hickory or in Catawba County from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
Hickory hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 903 NCEI Storm Events entries within 25 miles of Hickory or in Catawba County for this period, on 340 separate storm days. Wind is the more common entry — 564 thunderstorm wind reports to 302 hail reports.
Storm days ranged from 13 in 2020 to 38 in 2011. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 18 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 22. The latest five full years (2020–2024) averaged 16 storm days, down from 27 in 2010–2014.
The largest hail in these records for this area was 2.00 in. (hen-egg size), reported in 2011, 2012 and 2018 — most recently on July 21, 2018 in Catawba County. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 3 different years of this record, the latest being 2018. Measured thunderstorm gusts topped out at 63 mph (Cleveland County, May 8, 2025). NCEI also lists 37 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in June (24% of all hail reports); thunderstorm wind peaks in July. December through February accounts for 10 storm days.
- Average: 22 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- Most hail reports in one year: 55 in 2011
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12 | 53 | 7 | 26 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2011 | 55 | 89 | 3 | 38 | 2.00 in. | — |
| 2012 | 39 | 25 | 2 | 32 | 2.00 in. | 59 mph |
| 2013 | 22 | 37 | 0 | 20 | 1.25 in. | — |
| 2014 | 19 | 27 | 0 | 18 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2015 | 16 | 20 | 0 | 17 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2016 | 30 | 33 | 0 | 23 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2017 | 27 | 49 | 13 | 32 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2018 | 20 | 34 | 0 | 20 | 2.00 in. | — |
| 2019 | 13 | 38 | 3 | 20 | 1.50 in. | — |
| 2020 | 8 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2021 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 15 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2022 | 9 | 32 | 1 | 16 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2023 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 17 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2024 | 4 | 39 | 3 | 20 | 1.00 in. | 58 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 1.00 in. | 63 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/nc/hickory.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
Hickory storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
What is the largest hail reported near Hickory, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2.00 in., hen-egg size, reported in 2011, 2012 and 2018; most recently on July 21, 2018 in Catawba County, per NCEI.
What was Hickory's most active storm year, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2011, with 38 storm days (55 hail reports, 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 22 storm days.
How often does Hickory get hail?
NCEI's records average 19 hail reports a year here over 2010–2024, alongside 36 thunderstorm wind reports. Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported in every one of those years.
When is hail season near Hickory?
June has the most hail reports (73, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by May (67) and July (67).
How strong were measured thunderstorm winds in Hickory, 2010–Oct. 2025?
63 mph, measured on May 8, 2025 in Cleveland County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Hickory hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Hickory? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across North Carolina, including the Hickory metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through Catawba County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Hickory weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Hickory address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Hickory wind history and free Hickory hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
For roofers, adjusters, and claim attorneys: the professional tools add statewide hail and wind swath maps, the Zone Canvas Tool, and Audit Reports with the evidence and arithmetic — see how roofing contractors and insurance claim attorneys use them.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Free Hickory storm data download
The Hickory storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/nc/hickory.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Hickory or recorded for Catawba County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the North Carolina storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
- Gastonia hail & wind history
- Charlotte hail & wind history
- Concord hail & wind history
- Rock Hill, SC hail & wind history
- Spartanburg, SC hail & wind history
- Winston-Salem hail & wind history
- North Carolina statewide storm data
Guides for reading this data
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "Hickory, NC Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated September 21, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc/hickory
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc/hickory">Hickory, NC Hail & Wind Storm History — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.