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 20 hail storms within 25 miles of Cranston, RI. Of those, 16 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. 2024 was the most active year on record locally, with 9 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Cranston| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 13 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 2 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 2 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 events |
| 2025 | 4 events |
| 2024 | 9 events |
| 2023 | 3 events |
2024 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Cranston, with 9 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Cranston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-04 | 1 E Killingly, CT | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-03-04 | North Smithfield, RI | Minor | 0.10" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-03-04 | 1 SE North Providence, RI | Minor | 0.10" | — |
| 2026-03-03 | Glocester, RI | Significant | 1.00" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2025-07-03 | KILLINGLY CENTER, CT | Significant | 1.00" | In Killingly, quarter sized hail fell. |
| 2025-07-03 | SOUTH KILLINGLY, CT | Severe | 1.75" | In Sterling, golf ball sized hail was reported which destroyed a gazebo. |
| 2025-07-03 | EAST BROOKLYN, CT | Significant | 1.00" | In Danielson, quarter sized hail fell. |
| 2025-07-03 | FOSTER CENTER, RI | Significant | 1.00" | In Foster Rhode Island, quarter sized hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | USQUEPAUG, RI | Significant | 1.25" | In Richmond, quarter to half dollar sized hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | WEST BARRINGTON, RI | Significant | 1.00" | In Barrington, 1 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | APPONAUG, RI | Significant | 1.00" | In Warwick, quarter sized hail fell. |
| 2024-08-15 | RAYNHAM CENTER, MA | Significant | 1.25" | In Raynham, 1.25 inch hail was reported. |
| 2024-08-15 | RAYNHAM, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Raynham, quarter sized hail was reported. |
| 2024-05-08 | RIVER PT, RI | Significant | 1.25" | In West Warwick 1.25 inch hail was reported. |
| 2024-05-08 | PORTSMOUTH, RI | Significant | 1.00" | In Portsmouth quarter sized hail was reported. |
| 2024-05-08 | BERRYMAN CORNER, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Westport quarter sized hail was reported. |
| 2024-05-08 | SAUNDERSTOWN, RI | Severe | 1.50" | In Narragansett 2 inch hail was reported, as was 1.75 inch hail. In Jamestown 1.5 inch hail was reported. |
| 2023-06-06 | REHOBOTH, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Rehoboth at 439 PM EDT (339 PM EST), there was a social media photo of hail that ranged from dime to quarter size. The report time was radar-estimated. |
| 2023-06-02 | FOSTER, RI | Moderate | 0.75" | In Foster, there were several reports of dime size hail. |
| 2023-06-02 | KILLINGLY CENTER, CT | Severe | 1.75" | At 4 PM EDT (3 PM EST), the public reported quarter size hail in East Killingly. Report relayed by the media. At 403 PM EDT, an amateur radio spotter relayed photos of golf ball size hail from East Killingly. |
NOAA has recorded 115 high-wind events within 25 miles of Cranston, RI in the past five years. Of those, 115 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 100 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 1 event |
| Severe | 4 events |
| Significant | 110 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-19 | EAST KILLINGLY, CT | 58 | Significant | In Killingly, there was a tree and wires down on Valley rd. |
| 2025-08-29 | OAK LAWN, RI | 58 | Significant | In Cranston, a tree and wires were down. |
| 2025-07-25 | PAWTUCKET, RI | 58 | Significant | In Pawtucket, a tree was down on a house. |
| 2025-07-25 | JOHNSTON, RI | 58 | Significant | In Providence, a tree was down on Wallace St. |
| 2025-07-25 | RAYNHAM CENTER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Raynham, wires were down on Goldfinch Dr. |
| 2025-07-25 | HARBOR JCT, RI | 58 | Significant | In Providence, a tree was down on Prairie Ave. |
| 2025-07-25 | ESMOND, RI | 58 | Significant | In North Providence, a tree was down on wires on Randall Rd. |
| 2025-07-25 | WADES CORNER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Dighton, a tree and wires were down on Regional Rd. |
| 2025-07-25 | RAYNHAM CENTER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Raynham, a large tree was down on King St. In Raynham, a large tree was down on King St. |
| 2025-07-25 | WRENTHAM, MA | 63 | Significant | In Wrentham, a mesonet station gusted to 63 mph. |
| 2025-07-08 | HARRISVILLE, RI | 58 | Significant | In Burrillville, a tree was down blocking the westbound lane of East Ave. |
| 2025-07-08 | DAYVILLE, CT | 58 | Significant | In Killingly, the northbound side of I-395 between mile marker 37 and 38 had a large tree blocking the right lane. |
| 2025-07-08 | TASSELTOP, MA | 58 | Significant | In Douglas, a large tree was down on Perry St. |
| 2025-07-03 | KILLINGLY CENTER, CT | 58 | Significant | In Killingly, trees were down in town. |
| 2025-07-03 | WEST BARRINGTON, RI | 58 | Significant | In Barrington, a tree was down on a vehicle on County Rd. |
| 2025-07-03 | GREENWOOD, RI | 64 | Severe | The Asos at TF Green Airport (KPVD) gusted to 64 mph. |
| 2025-07-03 | FALL RIVER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Fall River, several trees and large branches were down including a tree on a car. |
| 2025-07-03 | SWANSEA, MA | 58 | Significant | In Swansea, numerous small branches and limbs were blown down. |
| 2025-07-03 | SOMERSET, MA | 58 | Significant | In Fall River, numerous trees, branches, and power lines were down across the city. At least one car was damaged due to a fallen branch. |
| 2025-07-03 | WARWICK, RI | 62 | Significant | In Warwick, wind gusted to 54 kts and caused damage to a street sign. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Cranston was on March 3, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Cranston averages roughly 4 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 16 of the 20 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Cranston in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Cranston-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 RI 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 Cranston. 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 Cranston 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 ValidationCranston 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.