Hail in Nebraska — where it hits, county by county
Hail is a fact of life on Nebraska ground — 1,040 National Weather Service hail reports in the last 5 years, led by Douglas County, peaking around June. 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 Nebraska →Top hail counties in Nebraska (2022–2026)
| County | Reports | Avg/yr | Peak month | % damaging (≥1.5″) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 148 | 29.6 | Apr | 41% |
| Lincoln | 115 | 23.0 | Jul | 43% |
| Scotts Bluff | 104 | 20.8 | Jun | 46% |
| Hitchcock | 96 | 19.2 | Jun | 45% |
| Cherry | 86 | 17.2 | Jul | 36% |
| Sheridan | 78 | 15.6 | Jul | 49% |
| Red Willow | 76 | 15.2 | Sep | 54% |
| Sarpy | 74 | 14.8 | Jun | 47% |
| Lancaster | 74 | 14.8 | Apr | 26% |
| Buffalo | 66 | 13.2 | Jun | 23% |
| BUFFALO | 65 | 13.0 | Jun | 34% |
| Dawson | 58 | 11.6 | Jul | 60% |
Nebraska hail — the questions people ask
Where does it hail the most in Nebraska?
By reported hail over the last 5 years, the most active counties in Nebraska are Douglas, Lincoln, Scotts Bluff. 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 Nebraska?
Reported hail in Nebraska peaks around June, with most activity in the spring-through-midsummer window. Any single year can break the pattern.
How much of Nebraska'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 1,040 reports over 5 years.