Hail and tornadoes in McDowell County, NC
Since December 2020, radar estimated hail somewhere in McDowell County, NC on 46 days. The biggest estimate: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball), on Wed, Jun 25, 2025. Hail was reported to the National Weather Service inside the county on 11 days.
Still loading: radar estimates go back to Wed, Oct 14, 2020, and the earlier years are being added.
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 136 hail reports in McDowell County, NC on 90 days, 8 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest: 2.5 in, near East Marion, on Sat, Apr 9, 2011.
By decade: 1990s: 10 · 2000s: 50 · 2010s: 54 · 2020s: 22
Tornadoes since 1950
6 tornadoes have touched McDowell County, NC since 1950, none of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
- Thu, May 7, 1998 · F2 · 3.7 mi long, 880 yd wide · near Glenwood
- Sat, Apr 10, 2021 · EF0 · 0.59 mi long, 20 yd wide · near Dysortville
- Fri, Apr 19, 2019 · EF0 · 0.43 mi long, 50 yd wide · near Ashford
- Tue, Oct 14, 2014 · EF0 · 0.5 mi long, 100 yd wide · near Sugar Hill
- Wed, May 24, 2000 · F0 · 3 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Marion
Most recent
- Sat, Apr 10, 2021 · EF0 · 0.59 mi long, 20 yd wide · near Dysortville
- Fri, Apr 19, 2019 · EF0 · 0.43 mi long, 50 yd wide · near Ashford
- Tue, Oct 14, 2014 · EF0 · 0.5 mi long, 100 yd wide · near Sugar Hill
- Wed, May 24, 2000 · F0 · 3 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Marion
- Thu, May 7, 1998 · F2 · 3.7 mi long, 880 yd wide · near Glenwood
- Sat, Apr 20, 1996 · F0 · 0.1 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Marion
By decade: 1990s: 2 · 2000s: 1 · 2010s: 2 · 2020s: 1
Still loading: NOAA's record goes back to 1950, and 1995 onward is in so far.
Every hail day since December 2020
- Mon, Sep 21, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Sep 6, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Sep 5, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 28, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 26, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 14, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Aug 11, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (Marion, NC)
- 1 in (Marion, NC)
- 1 in (3 N Glenwood, NC)
- 1 in (3 N Glenwood, NC)
- Wed, Aug 5, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 18, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
Reported in the county- 1 in (Dysartsville, NC)
- 1 in (2 SW Dysartsville, NC)
- Fri, Jul 3, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jun 29, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Mar 6, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 20, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 11, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jun 28, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Jun 25, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1 in (Little Switzerland, NC)
- 1 in (1 SW Nebo, NC)
- Wed, May 14, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, May 8, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (Old Fort, NC)
- 1 in (Dysartsville, NC)
- 1.75 in (2 NNE Thermal City, NC)
- Fri, Aug 30, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Aug 3, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 2, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Jul 30, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 5, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, May 8, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Jul 25, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
Reported in the county- 1 in (4 W Marion, NC)
- Tue, Jul 18, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 14, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jul 2, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 NW Sugar Hill, NC)
- Sat, Jul 1, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 2 in (1 S Old Fort, NC)
- Tue, May 16, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 10, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 5, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 3, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Aug 2, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 23, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 8, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Jul 6, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 16, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (4 WNW MARION, NC)
- 1 in (4 WSW MARION, NC)
- Wed, Jun 15, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 NNW MARION, NC)
- 1 in (1 NE NEBO, NC)
- Mon, Jun 13, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, May 21, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, May 1, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (MARION, NC)
- Mon, Sep 6, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Aug 14, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (1 ESE MARION, NC)
- Wed, Aug 11, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 17, 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.