Hail and tornadoes in Essex County, NJ
Since January 2021, radar estimated hail somewhere in Essex County, NJ on 15 days. The biggest estimate: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball), on Sat, Jul 17, 2021. Hail was reported to the National Weather Service inside the county on 1 day.
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 25 hail reports in Essex County, NJ on 15 days, 0 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest: 1.75 in, near Caldwell, on Wed, Dec 9, 2009.
By decade: 2000s: 17 · 2010s: 7 · 2020s: 1
Tornadoes since 1950
1 tornado has touched Essex County, NJ since 1950, none of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Every one
- Thu, Jul 29, 2021 · EF0 · 0.35 mi long, 50 yd wide · near Glen Ridge
By decade: 2020s: 1
Still loading: NOAA's record goes back to 1950, and 2003 onward is in so far.
Every hail day since January 2021
- Tue, Sep 1, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Aug 27, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 3, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 19, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jun 30, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jun 14, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Sep 9, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jun 26, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jul 25, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jul 21, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, May 28, 2022
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: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1 in (2 SE NEWARK, NJ)
- Tue, Jun 8, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jun 5, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jun 4, 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.