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 Butte, MT. 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. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 2 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Butte| 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 | 2 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 events |
| 2023 | 2 events |
| 2022 | 1 event |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Butte, with 2 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-06 | Opportunity, MT | Severe | 1.50" | Time estimated via radar. Information derived by social media report. |
| 2026-07-17 | 1 NNW Butte, MT | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2023-07-27 | ANACONDA, MT | Significant | 1.00" | There were two reports of quarter sized hail, one on the west side of Anaconda and another 2 miles north of Warm Springs as the storm moved northeastward. |
| 2023-07-06 | BASIN, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Public reported quarter size hail. |
| 2022-07-06 | BASIN, MT | Moderate | 0.88" | Via spotter report. |
NOAA has recorded 21 high-wind events within 25 miles of Butte, MT in the past five years. Of those, 17 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 80 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 6 events |
| Significant | 11 events |
| Moderate | 4 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-02 | 3 NNE Newcomb, MT | 74 | Severe | Bert Mooney Airport ASOS. |
| 2026-09-02 | 1 S Warm Springs, MT | 80 | Severe | — |
| 2026-09-02 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 58 | Significant | Anaconda Bowman Field Airport AWOS K3U3 reported southwest wind sustained at 40 mph with gusts to 58 mph. At 1331 it reported a sustained wind of 44 mph. So far there have been power outages reported near the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. |
| 2026-08-27 | 1 ESE Wise River, MT | 60 | Significant | Mesonet station WRSM8 Wise River. 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-07-31 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 49 | Significant | AWOS station K3U3 3 NW Opportunity. |
| 2026-07-24 | 4 NW Opportunity, MT | 59 | Significant | Anaconda AWOS. |
| 2026-07-08 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 43 | Moderate | AWOS station K3U3 3 NW Opportunity. |
| 2026-05-25 | 3 SSE Butte, MT | 49 | Significant | ASOS station KBTM Butte-mooney Ap. |
| 2026-05-25 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 48 | Significant | AWOS station K3U3 3 NW Opportunity. |
| 2026-05-14 | 1 ESE Wise River, MT | 64 | Severe | Mesonet station WRSM8 Wise River. |
| 2026-05-13 | 3 SSE Butte, MT | 67 | Severe | ASOS station KBTM Butte-mooney Ap. |
| 2026-05-13 | (BTM)MOONEY ARPT BUT, MT | 67 | Severe | An initial thunderstorm produced a 54 MPH wind gust just west of Homestake Pass at 1254MST. This gust resulted in a power outage that lasted until 1930MST. Later, at 1629MST, a 67 MPH wind gust was measured at the Bert Mooney Airport (KBTM). This severe gust was associated with a weak thunderstorm that mixed down stronger winds from aloft, aided by evaporative cooling. The strong winds caused a tree branch to fall onto a car. |
| 2026-05-13 | 3 SSE Butte, MT | 54 | Significant | ASOS station KBTM Butte-mooney Ap. |
| 2026-04-07 | 1 ESE Wise River, MT | 61 | Significant | Mesonet station WRSM8 Wise River. |
| 2026-04-07 | 3 SSE Butte, MT | 45 | Moderate | ASOS station KBTM Butte-mooney Ap. |
| 2026-04-07 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 43 | Moderate | AWOS station K3U3 3 NW Opportunity. |
| 2026-04-07 | 4 NNW Opportunity, MT | 41 | Moderate | AWOS station K3U3 3 NW Opportunity. |
| 2024-09-11 | (BTM)MOONEY ARPT BUT, MT | 61 | Significant | Thunderstorm outflow wind gusts. No damage noted in Butte. |
| 2024-06-30 | WISE RIVER, MT | 58 | Significant | RAWS station WRSM8 Wise River measured a 58 mph gust. Time estimated given RAWS only report once per hour. |
| 2023-07-01 | WISE RIVER, MT | 60 | Significant | Measured via WRSM8 near Wise River. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Butte was on September 6, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Butte 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 Butte in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Butte-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 MT 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 Butte. 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 Butte 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 ValidationButte 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.