Hail and tornadoes in Santa Barbara County, CA
Since October 2020, radar estimated hail somewhere in Santa Barbara County, CA on 13 days. The biggest estimate: 1 in or larger (quarter), on Sat, May 31, 2025. Hail was reported to the National Weather Service inside the county on 0 days.
Radar estimates are NOAA's MESH: the largest hail the radar estimates aloft, on cells about 0.7 mile across, shown as the lower bound of a size band (“1.5+”). They often run larger than what reached the ground, and they aren't evidence of damage at any address.
Hail on record since 1955
NOAA's Storm Events database lists 6 hail reports in Santa Barbara County, CA on 5 days, 0 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest: 1.75 in, on Wed, Jan 20, 1982.
By decade: 1980s: 1 · 1990s: 1 · 2000s: 4
Tornadoes since 1950
6 tornadoes have touched Santa Barbara County, CA since 1950, none of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger. They killed 0 and injured 3.
Strongest
- Tue, Mar 21, 2023 · EF0 · 0.24 mi long, 25 yd wide · near Carpinteria · 1 injury
- Tue, Jan 19, 2010 · EF0 · 0.14 mi long, 10 yd wide · near Ellwood
- Wed, Mar 29, 2006 · F0 · 4 yd wide · near Lompoc
- Thu, Nov 29, 2001 · F0 · 0.1 mi long, 2 yd wide · near Santa Maria
- Sun, Dec 29, 1991 · F0 · 0.1 mi long, 10 yd wide · 2 injuries
Most recent
- Tue, Mar 21, 2023 · EF0 · 0.24 mi long, 25 yd wide · near Carpinteria · 1 injury
- Tue, Jan 19, 2010 · EF0 · 0.14 mi long, 10 yd wide · near Ellwood
- Wed, Mar 29, 2006 · F0 · 4 yd wide · near Lompoc
- Thu, Nov 29, 2001 · F0 · 0.1 mi long, 2 yd wide · near Santa Maria
- Sun, Dec 29, 1991 · F0 · 0.1 mi long, 10 yd wide · 2 injuries
- Mon, Jan 3, 1977 · unrated · 33 yd wide
By decade: 1970s: 1 · 1990s: 1 · 2000s: 2 · 2010s: 1 · 2020s: 1
Every hail day since October 2020
- Sat, May 31, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, May 1, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Dec 4, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Sep 11, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, May 27, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, May 26, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Sep 27, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Aug 31, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 25, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Aug 22, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jul 26, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 3, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Jun 29, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
Radar estimates and reports are for anywhere inside the county's boundary. Radar estimates come from NOAA's MRMS estimated hail size (MESH), the largest hail the radar estimates aloft on a ~1 km grid. They often run larger than the hail that reached the ground, and they aren't an observation at any address. Reports are what people reported to the National Weather Service. Neither is proof of damage or an official record for an insurance claim. From NOAA's Storm Events Database (NCEI), which records tornadoes from 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind from 1955, and every kind of storm from 1996. A tornado that crossed county lines is counted in each county it touched. Recent months are added as NCEI publishes them, a few months behind. Damage is in the dollars of its year and is often an estimate.