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 34 hail storms within 25 miles of Lancaster, PA. Of those, 19 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. 2022 was the most active year on record locally, with 10 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Lancaster| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 2 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 17 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 13 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 2 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 events |
| 2025 | 3 events |
| 2024 | 5 events |
| 2023 | 7 events |
| 2022 | 10 events |
2022 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Lancaster, with 10 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Lancaster 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | 3 N Rothsville, PA | Moderate | 0.50" | Half-inch hail. |
| 2026-08-27 | 3 SE Quarryville, PA | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-08-27 | 2 ESE Brickerville, PA | Moderate | 0.50" | Pea to dime sized hail. |
| 2026-08-27 | Manheim, PA | Moderate | 0.70" | Pea to dime sized hail. |
| 2026-07-04 | 1 NE Marietta, PA | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-06-15 | 3 SE Brogue, PA | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-06-06 | Spring Twp, PA | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-05-14 | 2 W Maytown, PA | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-03-03 | 3 S Lititz, PA | Minor | 0.03" | ASOS station KLNS Lancaster Airport. |
| 2025-06-30 | HIGHVILLE, PA | Moderate | 0.75" | A strong thunderstorm produced penny-sized hail near Highville. |
| 2025-06-28 | SILVER SPG, PA | Significant | 1.25" | A severe thunderstorm produced 1.25 inch hail approximately 1 mile northwest of Mountville. |
| 2025-03-16 | RED LION, PA | Moderate | 0.88" | A strong thunderstorm produced nickel-sized hail in Red Lion. |
| 2024-09-21 | MT WOLF, PA | Severe | 1.50" | A severe thunderstorm produced ping pong ball sized hail in Manchester. |
| 2024-07-17 | WEST WYOMISSING, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). Time given in report. |
| 2024-07-16 | MONTELLO, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A report from mPing. Time updated based on radar. |
| 2024-07-16 | MECHANICSVILLE, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced one inch hail northwest of East Petersburg. |
| 2024-06-30 | HOPELAND, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced quarter-sized hail in Brickerville. |
| 2023-09-07 | SPRINGVALE, PA | Moderate | 0.75" | A thunderstorm produced penny-sized hail southeast of Red Lion. |
| 2023-09-07 | NORRISVILLE, MD | Significant | 1.00" | Trees and branches blew down and nickel to quarter size hail was observed at Fawn View Farm on Onion Road in Pylesville. |
| 2023-07-13 | HEBRON, PA | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced quarter-sized hail to the southeast of Lebanon. |
NOAA has recorded 270 high-wind events within 25 miles of Lancaster, PA in the past five years. Of those, 269 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 90 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 28 events |
| Significant | 241 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-05 | 1 WSW Valley Twp, PA | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-07-05 | 1 SE Valley Twp, PA | 58 | Significant | Westwood Mesonet gusted to 58 MPH. |
| 2026-07-04 | 2 S Lititz, PA | 60 | Significant | 52KT gust. |
| 2026-06-14 | WAKEFIELD, PA | 49 | Significant | A strong thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 50 mph knocked wires down near Wakefield. |
| 2026-06-14 | CONESTOGA, PA | 49 | Significant | A strong thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 50 mph knocked wires down approximately 3 miles east-northeast of Safe Harbor. |
| 2026-06-14 | HIGHROCK, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down on Muddy Creek Forks Road. |
| 2026-06-14 | PYLESVILLE, MD | 60 | Significant | Multiple trees blew down in the vicinity of Wheeler School Road and Saint Mary's Road. Multiple trees blew down near and along Wheeler School Road. |
| 2026-06-14 | LAUREL, PA | 90 | Severe | An NWS damage survey found that a microburst occurred in Brogue on the evening of June 14th, 2026. Maximum winds were estimated to be between 80 and 90 mph and damage was concentrated along Forry Road in Chanceford Township. Around 10 trees were snapped, one of which fell onto a parked car. One home also sustained damage to roof shingles. |
| 2026-06-14 | YORKSHIRE, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down on Deininger Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | ANNVILLE, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down onto wires on E Main Street in Annville. |
| 2026-06-10 | MANCHESTER, PA | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down a large tree across Starview Road south of Manchester. |
| 2026-06-06 | SAFE HARBOR, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple wires near Safe Harbor. |
| 2026-06-06 | 1 W Valley Twp, PA | 49 | Significant | AWOS station KMQS Coatesville. |
| 2026-06-06 | STOUCHSBURG, PA | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown down. |
| 2026-06-06 | STOUCHSBURG, PA | 69 | Severe | Damage to several homes was reported. The roof of one residence was blown off. Another residence lost a chimney. Video shows a possible gustnado. |
| 2026-06-06 | MT ZION, PA | 60 | Significant | The two separate lines of severe thunderstorms began to congeal across eastern Lebanon County, with a line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocking down a tree onto Strack Drive northwest of Myerstown. |
| 2026-06-06 | KLEINFELTERSVILLE, PA | 60 | Significant | The two separate lines of severe thunderstorms began to congeal across eastern Lebanon County, with a line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocking down a tree onto State Route 897 near Schaefferstown. |
| 2026-06-06 | ROHRERSTOWN, PA | 60 | Significant | A line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple trees across Rohrerstown and Millersville. |
| 2026-06-06 | SAND HILL, PA | 60 | Significant | The two separate lines of severe thunderstorms began to congeal across eastern Lebanon County, with a line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocking down multiple trees and wires in Lebanon. A tree also fell onto a vehicle in the northern half of Lebanon with no injuries reported from this incident. |
| 2026-06-06 | VINEMONT, PA | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown into wires and onto a house on Vinemont Road. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Lancaster was on June 28, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Lancaster averages roughly 7 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 19 of the 34 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Lancaster in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Lancaster-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 Lancaster. 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 Lancaster 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 ValidationLancaster 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.