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 49 hail storms within 25 miles of West Lafayette, IN. Of those, 23 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. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 37 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in West Lafayette| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 1 event | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 1 event | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 5 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 16 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 17 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 9 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 37 events |
| 2025 | 2 events |
| 2024 | 2 events |
| 2023 | 8 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for West Lafayette, with 37 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in West Lafayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-19 | 5 SSE Rossville, IN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 5 N Newtown, IN | Severe | 1.75" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 S Frankfort, IN | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 S Frankfort, IN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | Colfax, IN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 NW Darlington, IN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 NW Darlington, IN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 NW Darlington, IN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-07-28 | Rainsville, IN | Significant | 1.25" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-16 | 9 WNW West Lafayette, IN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | MONTMORENCIE, IN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | Oxford, IN | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | TEMPLETON, IN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | 2 E Oxford, IN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | Monticello, IN | Moderate | 0.88" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-06-16 | 3 WSW Battle Ground, IN | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | 4 N West Lafayette, IN | Minor | 0.25" | CR 500-600 and 50-75 just north of Harrison High School. |
| 2026-06-16 | 1 NE Flora, IN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | Chalmers, IN | Moderate | 0.50" | Varied from pea to just under half an inch sized hail. |
| 2026-06-10 | 2 ENE Shadeland, IN | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
NOAA has recorded 84 high-wind events within 25 miles of West Lafayette, IN in the past five years. Of those, 84 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 81 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 13 events |
| Significant | 71 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-11 | 2 SW Purdue University, IN | 63 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-12 | 4 ESE Oxford, IN | 65 | Severe | Peak gust measured on personal weather station before data stopped being reported. |
| 2026-06-12 | 1 N Frankfort, IN | 59 | Significant | Measured from personal weather station. |
| 2026-06-12 | 2 W Colfax, IN | 59 | Significant | measured from personal weather station. |
| 2026-06-11 | TEMPLETON, IN | 64 | Severe | A personal weather station measured a wind gust to 65 mph before data stopped being reported. |
| 2026-06-11 | GLEN CLIFF, IN | 60 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and affected barns across Warren County. |
| 2026-06-11 | LAFAYETTE, IN | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds downed large tree onto 9th Street. |
| 2026-06-11 | FRANKFORT, IN | 59 | Significant | A 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at this location. |
| 2026-06-11 | BOWERS, IN | 59 | Significant | A 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at this location. |
| 2026-06-11 | CAIRO, IN | 63 | Significant | Two semis blown over by thunderstorm wind gusts on I-65. |
| 2026-06-11 | WHITE CO ARPT, IN | 60 | Significant | A member of the public reported several large trees down. |
| 2026-06-09 | MONITOR, IN | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a tree. |
| 2026-06-09 | 2 SW Purdue University, IN | 61 | Significant | KLAF Airport ASOS. |
| 2026-06-09 | (LAF)PURDUE UNIV LAF, IN | 61 | Significant | KLAF ASOS measured a 53 kt thunderstorm wind gust. |
| 2026-06-06 | LAFAYETTE, IN | 58 | Significant | Several tree limbs downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2026-06-06 | 1 N Frankfort, IN | 55 | Significant | Davis station. |
| 2026-06-06 | FRANKFORT, IN | 58 | Significant | Property damage caused by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2026-04-28 | 2 W Frankfort, IN | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-04-28 | 1 SW Purdue University, IN | 60 | Significant | KLAF ASOS. |
| 2026-04-27 | (LAF)PURDUE UNIV LAF, IN | 60 | Significant | KLAF ASOS measured a 52 kt or 60 mph wind gust. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of West Lafayette was on August 11, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
West Lafayette averages roughly 10 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 23 of the 49 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near West Lafayette in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most West Lafayette-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 IN 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 West Lafayette. 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 West Lafayette 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 ValidationWest Lafayette 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.