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 39 hail storms within 25 miles of Salem, VA. Of those, 16 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 quarter-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 17 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Salem| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Significant | 16 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 23 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 events |
| 2025 | 8 events |
| 2024 | 3 events |
| 2023 | 6 events |
| 2022 | 5 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Salem, with 17 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Salem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-22 | 3 SE Callaway, VA | Moderate | 0.50" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-07-04 | 1 SE Prices Fork, VA | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-07-04 | 1 SSE Blacksburg, VA | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2026-07-04 | 2 NW Christiansburg, VA | Moderate | 0.70" | Former NWS Employee reported dime size hail in the Christiansburg area of Montgomery county Virginia. |
| 2026-07-04 | 3 N Cave Spring, VA | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | STEWARTSVILLE, VA | Significant | 1.00" | One inch sized hail was reported in the community of Stewartsville. |
| 2026-06-11 | 1 ENE Stewartsville, VA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-02 | Merrimac, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-04-01 | MERRIMAC, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | Hail that was 0.88 inch in diameter was observed near Merrimac, VA. |
| 2026-04-01 | 3 NNW Stewartsville, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-04-01 | 3 WNW Stewartsville, VA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-01 | HARDY, VA | Significant | 1.00" | Hail that was 1 inch in diameter was observed near Stewartsville, VA. |
| 2026-04-01 | STEWARTSVILLE, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | Hail that was 0.88 inch in diameter was observed near Stewartsville, VA. |
| 2026-04-01 | 3 NE Stewartsville, VA | Moderate | 0.70" | Pea-size to dime-size hail has been falling at this location since around 5:15 PM. |
| 2026-04-01 | 3 WNW Stewartsville, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-04-01 | STEWARTSVILLE, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | Hail that was 0.88 inch in diameter was observed near Stewartsville, VA. |
| 2026-04-01 | Rocky Mount, VA | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2025-07-18 | STEWARTSVILLE, VA | Moderate | 0.88" | Hail up to the size of nickels fell about two miles west-northwest of Stewartsville. |
| 2025-07-18 | STEWARTSVILLE, VA | Significant | 1.00" | Hail up to the size of quarters fell near the intersection of Stewartsville Road and Mountain Lion Drive. |
| 2025-07-18 | SHADY GROVE, VA | Significant | 1.00" | Hail up to the size of quarters fell along Village Drive. |
NOAA has recorded 182 high-wind events within 25 miles of Salem, VA in the past five years. Of those, 181 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 90 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 15 events |
| Significant | 166 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | 1 SE Roanoke Airport, VA | 60 | Significant | ASOS station KROA Roanoke Airport measured a 60 mph gust. |
| 2026-06-27 | ADNEY GAP, VA | 63 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds uprooted numerous trees, snapping several in half, and brought down many large branches west of the community of Bent Mountain. Most of the reported damage was in a corridor near the intersection of Bottom Creek Road and Rocky Road. |
| 2026-06-22 | BOONES MILL, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down across Boones Mill Road near Gills Creek. |
| 2026-06-22 | GLADE HILL, VA | 58 | Significant | A large tree was reported down along the 4000 Block of Brooks Mill Road. |
| 2026-06-22 | BARFOOT, VA | 63 | Significant | Several large trees were reported along Carolina Springs Road. |
| 2026-06-22 | POTTS CREEK, VA | 58 | Significant | A large tree was reported down along the 4000 Block of the Old Franklin Turnpike. |
| 2026-06-22 | REDWOOD, VA | 58 | Significant | A large tree was reported down along the 1100 Block of the Booker T Washington Highway. |
| 2026-06-12 | SALEM (C), VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds at the 136.1 mile marker of I-81. |
| 2026-06-12 | 1 S Blacksburg, VA | 36 | Moderate | AWOS station KBCB VT Airport Blacksburg. |
| 2026-06-12 | NEW ELLETT, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Clubhouse Road near the North Fork Roanoke River. |
| 2026-06-12 | 1 SE Roanoke Airport, VA | 56 | Significant | ASOS station KROA Roanoke Airport. |
| 2026-06-12 | ROANOKE, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down, blocking the entire road, and hitting a nearby power pole near the Waverly Place Baptist Church. |
| 2026-06-12 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down and on a power line near the Walmart Neighborhood Market. A power line was also reported down and caught a tree on fire on Hollyhock Road NW. |
| 2026-06-12 | ROANOKE, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds onto a power line on 15th Street NE. |
| 2026-06-12 | 1 SE Roanoke Airport, VA | 51 | Significant | ASOS station KROA Roanoke Airport. |
| 2026-06-11 | THAXTON, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down on Dickerson Mill Road just north of its intersection with Shepherds Store Road. |
| 2026-06-11 | CHAMBLISSBURG, VA | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down along Saunders Grove Drive just south of Cochese Drive. |
| 2026-06-11 | CHAMBLISSBURG, VA | 58 | Significant | Two trees reported down along Dickerson Mill Road. One was at its intersection at Mead Valley Road and the other at its intersection with Sumdat Trail. |
| 2026-05-21 | CAVE SPG, VA | 69 | Severe | The Bogle Field scoreboard at Cave Spring Middle School was blown down by thunderstorm winds, also damaging a nearby fence in the process. |
| 2025-07-31 | MONETA, VA | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds blew down one tree near the intersection of Joppa Mill Road and Stewartsville Road. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Salem was on June 11, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Salem averages roughly 8 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 16 of the 39 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Salem in the last five years was quarter-sized or larger. Most Salem-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 VA 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 Salem. 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 Salem 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 ValidationSalem 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.