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 42 hail storms within 25 miles of Great Falls, MT. Of those, 36 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 baseball-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2022 was the most active year on record locally, with 22 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Great Falls| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 1 event | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 7 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 8 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 20 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 5 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 1 event | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 events |
| 2025 | 12 events |
| 2024 | 1 event |
| 2023 | 4 events |
| 2022 | 22 events |
2022 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Great Falls, with 22 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Great Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | 7 SSE Ulm, MT | Minor | 0.25" | Hail up to pea size falling. |
| 2026-07-08 | 2 W Great Falls, MT | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-03-06 | 11 SSE Ulm, MT | Moderate | 0.50" | 0.50 inches of rainfall in the past 24 hours. |
| 2025-07-31 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Public reported 1 inch hail. Time of report estimated via radar. |
| 2025-06-15 | ASHUELOT, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Mping report of quarter sized hail. |
| 2025-06-15 | ASHUELOT, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported by member of the public. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Public report with image of quarter sized hail next to a quarter for reference. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter sized hail reported. |
| 2025-06-15 | PORTAGE, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reports quarter size to slightly larger than quarter size hail. |
| 2025-06-15 | PORTAGE, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reports quarter size hail along with 30 to 50 mph winds along highway 87 north of the Republic Services Landfill and south of Dent Bridge Road. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Social media report of three quarter of an inch to an inch sized hail. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter sized hail reported. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Social media report of 1 inch hail. Time and location estimated. |
| 2025-06-15 | GREAT FALLS, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported. Damage to vehicles and RV reported as well. |
| 2025-06-15 | HIGHWOOD, MT | Severe | 1.75" | Social media image of approximately golf ball sized hail in Highwood. Time estimated using radar. |
| 2024-06-21 | SALEM, MT | Severe | 1.50" | Time and location estimated. Hail stones between 1 and 1.5 inches were observed. |
| 2023-07-30 | BELT, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Spotter reported quarter size hail in Belt. |
| 2023-07-30 | (GFA)MALMSTROM AFB, MT | Significant | 1.25" | Malmstrom AFB personnel reported half dollar size hail occurring on base. |
| 2023-07-29 | WAYNE, MT | Severe | 1.75" | Reports on social media of vehicles in Wayne being dented from large hail. |
| 2023-06-05 | (GFA)MALMSTROM AFB, MT | Significant | 1.00" | Employee reported one inch hail on southeast side of Great Falls. Started off as small hail. |
NOAA has recorded 109 high-wind events within 25 miles of Great Falls, MT in the past five years. Of those, 109 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 83 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 44 events |
| Significant | 65 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-26 | 5 WSW Great Falls, MT | 55 | Significant | ASOS station KGTF Great Falls Airport. |
| 2026-09-26 | 1 ESE Malmstrom Afb, MT | 52 | Significant | AWOS station KGFA Malmstrom AFB. |
| 2026-09-26 | 7 ESE Floweree, MT | 50 | Significant | Wind gust from decaying shower. |
| 2026-09-26 | 7 ESE Floweree, MT | 54 | Significant | Mesonet station HIWM8 Highwood Bench. |
| 2026-09-02 | 8 SSE Fort Shaw, MT | 63 | Significant | Mesonet station SURM8 Sun River Se. |
| 2026-09-02 | 4 E Cascade, MT | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-09-02 | Ulm, MT | 60 | Significant | In addition, sustained winds of 40-50 mph unknown time frame for sustained winds. |
| 2026-09-02 | 8 S Sun River, MT | 70 | Severe | — |
| 2026-09-02 | 8 WSW Stockett, MT | 70 | Severe | Mesonet station ENWM8 Eden Nw. |
| 2026-09-02 | 7 SSE Ulm, MT | 61 | Significant | In addition, dirt in the air. |
| 2026-09-02 | 8 SSE Ulm, MT | 66 | Severe | AWOS station K1IM India. |
| 2026-09-02 | 5 WSW Great Falls, MT | 83 | Severe | ASOS station KGTF Great Falls Airport. |
| 2026-09-02 | 5 NW Belt, MT | 66 | Severe | Mesonet station ELTM8 Belt Nw. |
| 2026-09-02 | 5 NW Belt, MT | 71 | Severe | — |
| 2026-09-02 | 11 SSE Ulm, MT | 59 | Significant | 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust. Time estimated. |
| 2026-09-02 | 7 ENE Power, MT | 64 | Severe | AWOS station K1JM 6 ENE Power. |
| 2026-09-02 | 7 ENE Power, MT | 63 | Significant | AWOS station K1JM 6 ENE Power. |
| 2026-09-02 | 10 NNE Vaughn, MT | 67 | Severe | Mesonet station BLWM8 Benton Lake W. |
| 2026-09-02 | 1 ESE Malmstrom Afb, MT | 67 | Severe | AWOS station KGFA Malmstrom AFB. |
| 2026-09-02 | 1 WSW Sun Prairie, MT | 66 | Severe | Mesonet station FW5493 Vaughn. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Great Falls was on July 31, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Great Falls averages roughly 8 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 36 of the 42 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Great Falls in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Great Falls-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 Great Falls. 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 Great Falls 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 ValidationGreat Falls 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.