Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 5 hail storms within 25 miles of Altoona, PA. Of those, 3 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 3 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Altoona| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 1 event | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 2 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 1 event | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 1 event | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 event |
| 2025 | 1 event |
| 2023 | 3 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Altoona, with 3 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Altoona typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | 1 SSE Martinsburg, PA | Minor | 0.06" | AWOS station KAOO Altoona-Blair County Airport. |
| 2025-03-16 | ALTOONA PETERSON ARP, PA | Moderate | 0.75" | A strong thunderstorm produced dime-sized hail in Tipton. |
| 2023-07-20 | BELLWOOD, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced quarter-sized hail in Bellwood. |
| 2023-06-03 | HOLIDAYSBURG, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced quarter-sized hail in Hollidaysburg. |
| 2023-06-03 | CANOE CREEK, PA | Severe | 1.50" | A severe thunderstorm produced ping-pong ball sized hail near Canoe Creek State Park. |
NOAA has recorded 110 high-wind events within 25 miles of Altoona, PA in the past five years. Of those, 110 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 120 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 2 events |
| Severe | 21 events |
| Significant | 87 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | BLUE KNOB, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked multiple trees down in Freedom Township. |
| 2026-06-14 | PAVIA, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a large tree down onto the roadway in Blue Knob State Park, near the Burnt House Picnic Area. |
| 2026-06-11 | IMLER, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down near the intersection of South Dakota Road and Sarah Furnace Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | CRESSON, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down near the intersection of Short Avenue and Country Club Road in Cresson. |
| 2026-06-11 | WEYANT, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down along Shellsburg Road, resulting in a small brush fire. |
| 2026-06-11 | NANTY GLO, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down near the intersection of 3rd Street and Hemlock Street in Nanty-Glo. |
| 2026-06-11 | SUMMERHILL, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down onto Rockville Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | CRESSON, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down along Spruce Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. |
| 2026-06-11 | CROSS KEYS, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down onto Carson Valley Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | CROSS KEYS, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down onto Plank Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | WILLIAMSBURG, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down along Juniata River Road in Woodbury Township. |
| 2026-06-11 | WATER STREET, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down onto wires near the intersection of PA-45 and PA-453. |
| 2026-06-11 | JUNIATA RUN GAP, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down onto wires near the intersection of Davis Road and Gwin Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | WARRIORS MARK, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms knocked a tree down onto Warriors Mark Path approximately half way between Warriors Mark and Spruce Creek Road. |
| 2026-06-06 | ST LAWRENCE, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down numerous trees across Chest Township in Cambria County. |
| 2026-06-06 | MC CARTNEY, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple trees onto Tyrone Pike between Ansonville and Glen Hope. |
| 2026-06-06 | GLEN HOPE, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple trees between Glen Hope and Madera, including one down across State Route 53. |
| 2026-06-06 | TYRONE, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple trees on the north end of Tyrone. |
| 2026-03-11 | SPROUL, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down onto Quarry Road approximately 2 miles south-southwest of Claysburg, blocking both lanes of the roadway. |
| 2026-03-11 | (AOO)BLAIR CO ARPT A, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm produced a 60 mph wind gust at the Altoona-Blair County Airport. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Altoona was on July 20, 2023. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Altoona averages roughly 1 reported hail event per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 3 of the 5 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Altoona in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Altoona-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in PA cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Altoona. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Altoona took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationAltoona sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.