Hail in Massachusetts — where it hits, county by county
Massachusetts logged 93 National Weather Service hail reports over the last 5 years — meaningful but not hail-alley volume. The table below ranks the counties; the interactive national map shows exactly where, year by year. Checking a specific address? The map’s search box pulls every dated report within 25 miles.
Open the interactive map on Massachusetts →Top hail counties in Massachusetts (2022–2026)
| County | Reports | Avg/yr | Peak month | % damaging (≥1.5″) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 15 | 3.0 | May | 0% |
| Hampden | 14 | 2.8 | May | 14% |
| Bristol | 13 | 2.6 | Aug | 0% |
| Hampshire | 13 | 2.6 | Jul | 0% |
| Worcester | 12 | 2.4 | May | 0% |
| Barnstable | 6 | 1.2 | May | 0% |
| Middlesex | 5 | 1.0 | Jun | 0% |
| PLYMOUTH | 4 | 0.8 | Jul | 0% |
| Berkshire | 4 | 0.8 | Sep | 50% |
| Essex | 3 | 0.6 | Sep | 0% |
| Norfolk | 2 | 0.4 | Aug | 0% |
| Plymouth | 2 | 0.4 | Aug | 100% |
Massachusetts hail — the questions people ask
Where does it hail the most in Massachusetts?
By reported hail over the last 5 years, the most active counties in Massachusetts are Franklin, Hampden, Bristol. Reports track population and spotter coverage as well as storms, so rural corridors can be under-counted; the persistent leaders on this table are real hail geography.
When is hail season in Massachusetts?
Reported hail in Massachusetts peaks around May, with most activity in the spring-through-midsummer window. Any single year can break the pattern.
How much of Massachusetts's hail is damaging?
On this page, damaging means reported stones of 1.5″ or larger — the size that reliably dents roofs and vehicles and strips crops. The per-county damaging share is in the table; statewide, hail of any size totaled 93 reports over 5 years.