How big was the hail on May 4, 2026?

The maximum estimated stone size anywhere in the country that day was 1.50 inches, over West Albany, NY. Sizes vary street to street inside a single swath, so a city's figure is the largest radar estimated anywhere within about 5 miles of it.

Where does this hail data come from?

NOAA MRMS radar, specifically the Maximum Estimated Size of Hail product, ingested directly from the public NOAA archive. It runs about a quarter of an inch against ground truth, which makes it good for deciding where to look and not a substitute for an inspection.

Does this mean roofs were damaged?

Radar measures stone size, not damage. Whether a particular roof was damaged depends on stone size, wind direction, roof age and material — only an inspection settles it. These figures tell you where it is worth looking.

How do I see the actual swath on a map?

A HailMate plan puts a whole state on a real interactive map, with this swath and three years of others already on it. From $79/mo, and the canvassing tools come with it.

United States · May 4, 2026

Hail map — May 4, 2026

Name: US hail map — May 4, 2026
Creator: HailMate

NOAA radar detected hail of an inch or more over 8 cities across 3 states on May 4, 2026. The largest stones — 1.50″, half dollar size — fell over West Albany, NY.

Hail swath map for West Albany, NY on May 4, 2026 showing 1.50 inch hail. — Largest rendered swath of the day: West Albany, NY — 1.50″ hail. Each city below has its own map for this storm.

States hit: 3
Cities hit: 8
Largest stone: 1.50″; half dollar size
Impact rating: 5/10; from stone size

Sizes come from NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), which runs about ±0.25″ against ground truth. It is canvass-targeting quality, not claim evidence.

Roofing contractors

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HailMate's canvassing map: hail swaths colour-banded by stone size, from yellow through red to purple, laid over a satellite view of a Texas territory, with hail swath and territory controls.

Your whole state at street level, with this storm already on it
Three years of hail swaths, filterable by stone size
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Homeowners

Did hail hit your address?

This page covers your area as a whole. Check your own address to see every storm on record for your roof — the date and the stone size for each one — and we'll email you the full report to keep.

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Free, and no account needed to look it up. If hail did hit, you can ask for a free inspection from a vetted local roofer.

States hit on May 4, 2026

Every state where NOAA radar put an inch or more of hail over a city that day, biggest stone first.

New York3 cities · 1.50″Florida2 cities · 1.00″Illinois3 cities · 1.00″

Hardest hit on May 4, 2026

West Albany, NY1.50″ · half dollar Troy, NY1.50″ · half dollar Latham, NY1.50″ · half dollar Cutler Bay, FL1.00″ · quarter Belleville, IL1.00″ · quarter Upper Alton, IL1.00″ · quarter Alton, IL1.00″ · quarter Cutler Ridge, FL1.00″ · quarter

What people on the ground measured in the US on May 4, 2026

15 reports filed with the National Weather Service — 6 from trained spotters or officials. These are measured stones, not radar estimates, so they are the closest thing to proof that hail actually reached the ground.

2.00″ hen egg size Public
Livingston, IL6:39 PM CDTMadison County
1.75″ golf ball size Public
2 E Worden, IL6:33 PM CDTMadison County
1.75″ golf ball size Trained Spotter
1 NW Greenville, IL7:10 PM CDTBond County
1.50″ half dollar size Trained Spotter
2 W Worden, IL6:21 PM CDTMadison County
1.50″ half dollar size Trained Spotter
New Douglas, IL6:44 PM CDTMadison County
1.50″ half dollar size Public
Bible Grove, IL8:57 PM CDTClay County
Relayed by Broadcast Media.
1.25″ half dollar size Public
4 SSE Hord, IL8:52 PM CDTClay County
Via Broadcast Media.
1.25″ half dollar size Emergency Mngr
4 SW Emden, IL10:33 PM CDTLogan County
1.00″ quarter size Trained Spotter
Stevensville, MI7:05 PM EDTBerrien County
Spotter reports quarter size hail in Stevensville just after 7 PM EDT.
1.00″ quarter size Public
2 E Fair Plain, MI7:15 PM EDTBerrien County
Photo on Facebook of penny to quarter size hail. Time estimated via radar.
1.00″ quarter size Trained Spotter
Sodus, MI7:16 PM EDTBerrien County
1.00″ quarter size Public
1 NE Prairietown, IL6:23 PM CDTMadison County
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
1.00″ quarter size Public
2 SE Old Ripley, IL6:55 PM CDTBond County
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
1.00″ quarter size Public
2 E Sawyer, IA7:30 PM CDTLee County
1.00″ quarter size Public
Bogard, MO7:41 PM CDTCarroll County
Nickel to quarter size hail in Bogard. Time confirmed from radar.

Showing the 15 largest of 84 hail reports filed that day.

Reports come from the National Weather Service Local Storm Report feed, ingested every 15 minutes. A report records where the observer was, not the full extent of the swath — treat it as evidence about the storm, not about any one roof.

Other hail days

August 19, 202620 cities · 2.00″August 18, 20266 cities · 1.50″August 17, 20266 cities · 1.00″August 16, 202610 cities · 1.50″August 15, 20268 cities · 1.50″August 14, 202611 cities · 2.00″August 13, 202616 cities · 2.00″August 12, 202610 cities · 1.50″August 11, 202633 cities · 2.00″August 10, 202623 cities · 1.50″August 9, 202649 cities · 1.50″August 8, 20265 cities · 1.50″

Every state with hail on record →

FAQ

US hail on May 4, 2026

NOAA radar put hail of an inch or more over 8 cities across 3 states on May 4, 2026. The largest stones — 1.50 inches, half dollar size — were over West Albany, NY. Every state hit is listed on this page, and every city under it.

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