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 7 hail storms within 25 miles of Portland, ME. Of those, 3 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. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 5 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Portland| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 2 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 1 event | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Minor | 4 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 events |
| 2025 | 1 event |
| 2022 | 1 event |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Portland, with 5 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Portland 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 | 2 S Portland Jetport, ME | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-05-31 | 3 W Pownal, ME | Minor | 0.25" | Pea sized hail covered the ground. Lasted three minutes. |
| 2026-05-31 | 2 SW North Yarmouth, ME | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-03-07 | 3 W Pownal, ME | Minor | 0.02" | — |
| 2026-03-07 | Portland Jetport, ME | Minor | 0.03" | ASOS station KPWM Portland Jetport. Elevated Flat Ice Accretion. |
| 2025-07-20 | FALMOUTH, ME | Severe | 1.50" | Large hail associated with a severe thunderstorm dropped hail the size of ping pong balls in Falmouth. |
| 2022-07-21 | STEEP FALLS, ME | Severe | 1.50" | A severe thunderstorm dropped hail the size of ping pong balls two miles north of Steep Falls. |
NOAA has recorded 41 high-wind events within 25 miles of Portland, ME in the past five years. Of those, 41 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 81 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 10 events |
| Significant | 31 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-13 | Portland Jetport, ME | 69 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-13 | 2 N Cape Elizabeth, ME | 80 | Severe | Personal weather station. Time estimated by radar. Nickel sized hail reported as well. |
| 2026-07-10 | 4 NW North Yarmouth, ME | 50 | Significant | Test...Test...Test... |
| 2025-07-20 | LIMINGTON HARMON ARP, ME | 60 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed numerous trees to include a large pine tree on Hanscomb School Rd., and a cluster of trees along a field line in Limington. |
| 2025-07-20 | SMITHS MILLS, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a tree onto a house on Ridge Rd. and Leisure Lane on Frye Island. |
| 2025-07-20 | HIGHLAND LAKE, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed multiple trees onto houses along Route 302 in Windham, just in from the Westbrook line. |
| 2025-07-20 | FALMOUTH, ME | 64 | Severe | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds blew a flat roof off a building on Fundy Road. Additional trees down along Foreside Road and the Golf Course in Falmouth. |
| 2025-07-20 | SOUTH WINDHAM, ME | 81 | Severe | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed multiple large trees down throughout the area, including partial ripping the roof off a home and damaging another as a tree fell on the home on South Windham. |
| 2025-06-24 | POND COVE, ME | 60 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a tree onto a car in Cape Elizabeth. |
| 2025-06-24 | SCARBOROUGH, ME | 60 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds caused downed powerlines on an SUV in Scarborough. Powerline and wires all over the road for at least about 100 yards. |
| 2025-06-24 | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME | 60 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed multiple large branches and some trees in South Portland. |
| 2024-07-16 | WEST SCARBOROUGH, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed trees near the junction of Payne Rd. and Rt 1 in Scarborough. |
| 2024-07-13 | OLD ORCHARD BEACH, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow wind gusts downed trees and wires blocking both lanes of Ross Rd. |
| 2024-06-23 | COOKS CORNER, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a tree blocking Rt. 1 in the area of Cooks Corner in Brunswick. |
| 2024-06-20 | LIMINGTON HARMON ARP, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed multiple trees and powerlines on North Rd. in Limington. |
| 2024-06-20 | NEWHALL, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed trees and power lines blocking Maynard Rd. in Windham, ME. |
| 2024-06-20 | CUMBERLAND MILLS, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed trees and powerlines blocking Conant St. in Westbrook. |
| 2024-06-20 | SOUTH WINDHAM, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a tree onto a house in Gorham, ME. |
| 2024-06-20 | WINDHAM CENTER, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a tree and powerlines, blocking Gray Rd. in Windham. |
| 2024-06-20 | NORTH DEERING, ME | 58 | Significant | Severe thunderstorm outflow winds downed a large tree onto Ocean Ave., blocking the road in Portland, ME. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Portland was on August 13, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Portland averages roughly 1 reported hail event per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 3 of the 7 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Portland in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Portland-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 ME 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 Portland. 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 Portland 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 ValidationPortland 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.