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 1 hail storm within 25 miles of El Cajon, CA. The largest reported hail in this window was marble-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2024 was the most active year on record locally, with 1 documented hail event.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in El Cajon| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 1 event | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 event |
2024 was the busiest hail year on record locally for El Cajon, with 1 documented event inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in El Cajon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-11 | GUATAY, CA | Moderate | 0.50" | Trained spotter and meteorologist reported half inch sized hail from thunderstorm along I-8 in Pine Valley near 3500 feet MSL. |
NOAA has recorded 9 high-wind events within 25 miles of El Cajon, CA in the past five years. Of those, 4 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 58 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Significant | 4 events |
| Moderate | 5 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-18 | RANCHO SANTA FE, CA | 58 | Significant | Member of the public reports medium-sized tree snapped in half and landed on their car. Picture provided via social media with wind estimates near 30-40 mph. |
| 2025-08-25 | PINE VLY, CA | 58 | Significant | A mesonet station 5 miles WNW of Pine Valley reported a 58 mph wind gust associated with outflow from a thunderstorm. |
| 2025-03-06 | IMPERIAL BEACH, CA | 58 | Significant | Public reported the top 10 feet of 40 foot palm tree snapped. |
| 2025-03-06 | CAMP ELLIOT, CA | 58 | Significant | Public reported tree branches down and patio furniture flipped over. |
| 2024-08-11 | MORONGO LODGE, CA | 43 | Moderate | Lucky Five SDGE weather station recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 43 mph at 240 pm August 11, 2024. |
| 2024-01-22 | HILLCREST, CA | 35 | Moderate | Two trees were down on the road at SR-163 South and the Washington Street offramp. |
| 2024-01-22 | LYNWOOD HILLS, CA | 40 | Moderate | An eucalyptus tree was blown over and blocked all lanes on Sweetwater Road in Bonita. Wind gusts of 30-35 mph were recorded at the time. Severe trees were downed along I-805 and required emergency clean up by Caltrans. Strong winds from a thunderstorm. |
| 2023-11-15 | JAMUL, CA | 45 | Moderate | A line of strong thunderstorms moved central and southern San Diego County during the late morning hours on November 15. Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds were reported from the inland valleys through the mountains. The following are the strongest wind reports from the thunderstorm complex:||Mesonet station TAVSD Tavern: 43 MPH. Damaged to patio furniture was reported.|Mesonet station BRMSD Barona Mesa: 44 MPH|Mesonet station DENC1 Descanso RAWS: 42 MPH|Mesonet station HF003 Pine Valley Horse Launch: 43 MPH|Mesonet station ANEC1 Alpine RAWS: 45 MPH. |
| 2023-03-01 | DESCANSO, CA | 44 | Moderate | Photo of a large tree landing on Descanso Elementary School Building shared by San Diego Office of Education. West winds gusted to 44 mph on a nearby RAWS site at 5 AM and 11 AM. |
NOAA has not recorded a quarter-size-or-larger hail storm within 25 miles of El Cajon in the past five years. Smaller hail can still cause cosmetic damage, and unreported storms may exist.
El Cajon averages roughly 0 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 0 of the 1 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near El Cajon in the last five years was marble-sized. Most El Cajon-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 CA 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 El Cajon. 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 El Cajon 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 ValidationEl Cajon 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.