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 New Bedford, MA. Of those, 14 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 14 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in New Bedford| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 1 event | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 13 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 6 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 event |
| 2024 | 14 events |
| 2023 | 3 events |
| 2022 | 2 events |
2024 was the busiest hail year on record locally for New Bedford, with 14 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in New Bedford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-13 | Bourne, MA | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2024-08-26 | TISBURY, MA | Moderate | 0.75" | In Vineyard Haven, penny sized hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | WEST BARRINGTON, RI | Significant | 1.00" | In Barrington, 1 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | ACUSHNET, MA | Moderate | 0.75" | In Acushnet, 0.75 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | NORTH BRISTOL, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In New Bedford, 1 inch hail was reported. |
| 2024-08-26 | ACUSHNET, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Acushnet, 1 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | FAIRHAVEN, MA | Moderate | 0.75" | In New Bedford, 0.75 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | MARION, MA | Severe | 1.50" | In Marion, 1.5 inch hail fell. |
| 2024-08-26 | BOURNE, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Bourne, 1 inch 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 | 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 | NORTH BRISTOL, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In New Bedford, quarter sized hail was reported. |
| 2024-05-08 | WOODS HOLE, MA | Significant | 1.25" | In Woods Hole hail of 1.25 inches fell. |
| 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. |
| 2023-06-06 | DARTMOUTH, MA | Moderate | 0.88" | In Dartmouth at 518 PM EDT (418 PM EST), police reported nickel size hail. Report relayed by amateur radio. |
| 2023-06-06 | NORTH BRISTOL, MA | Moderate | 0.88" | In New Bedford at 505 PM EDT (405 PM EST), amateur radio operators reported nickel size hail. |
| 2022-07-14 | HALIFAX, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Halifax, quarter size hail was reported. |
| 2022-07-14 | STANLEY, MA | Significant | 1.00" | In Bridgewater, quarter size hail was reported. Relayed by amateur radio. |
NOAA has recorded 54 high-wind events within 25 miles of New Bedford, MA in the past five years. Of those, 54 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 70 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 2 events |
| Significant | 52 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-26 | 5 WSW Gosnold, MA | 64 | Severe | Mesonet station BUZM3 9 SE Little Compton. |
| 2026-09-26 | Marthas Vineyard AP, MA | 60 | Significant | ASOS station KMVY Marthas Vineyard AP. |
| 2026-09-26 | 6 S Mattapoisett, MA | 60 | Significant | Mesonet station XWST West Island. |
| 2026-09-26 | 3 SE Mattapoisett, MA | 60 | Significant | Mesonet station XAPL Angelica Point Li. |
| 2026-05-30 | 2 NNE Sandwich, MA | 58 | Significant | Mesonet station XSBC Scusset Beach. |
| 2026-05-30 | 2 NNE Sandwich, MA | 58 | Significant | Mesonet station XSBC Scusset Beach. |
| 2025-07-25 | RAYNHAM CENTER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Raynham, wires were down on Goldfinch Dr. |
| 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 | BISBEE CORNER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Rochester, a tree was down on a fire access road off of Negus Way. |
| 2025-07-25 | MIDDLEBORO, MA | 58 | Significant | In Middleboro, a tree was down on Cherry St. |
| 2025-07-25 | BISBEE CORNER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Rochester, a tree was down on North Ave. |
| 2025-07-03 | WEST BARRINGTON, RI | 58 | Significant | In Barrington, a tree was down on a vehicle on County Rd. |
| 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 | FALL RIVER, MA | 58 | Significant | In Fall River, a building that was under renovation had a portion of the facade of the building collapse. |
| 2025-07-03 | LAKESIDE, MA | 58 | Significant | In Westport, a tree was blocking part of a lane on I-195. |
| 2025-07-03 | PINE HILL ACRES, MA | 58 | Significant | In New Bedford, there was a tree down blocking Puritan Way. |
| 2025-07-03 | ACUSHNET, MA | 58 | Significant | In Acushnet, several trees were down including on a few cars. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of New Bedford was on August 26, 2024. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
New Bedford averages roughly 4 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 14 of the 20 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near New Bedford in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most New Bedford-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 MA 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 New Bedford. 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 New Bedford 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 ValidationNew Bedford 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.