South Dakota Hail Statistics

South Dakota averages 312 reports of 1-inch or larger hail a year, on 51.2 hail days. That ranks 8th of 51 and is 4% of all such reports in the US. Hail peaks in July.

Data: NOAA Storm Events, 2021–2025 yearly averages

312Reports of 1-inch+ hail a year, 8th most
51.2Hail days a year, 5th most
4.50 inLargest stone reported, August 26, 2021

When hail falls in South Dakota

  • 378 hail reports a year in all, 39.8 of them 2 inches or larger.
  • The most reports of 1-inch+ hail: Pennington County, about 40.8 a year.
  • The most reports come in July; nationally the peak is May.
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Share of South Dakota hail reports by month, 2021–2025.

Hail by county in South Dakota

66 counties with at least one hail report, 2021–2025. Yearly averages, sorted by 1-inch+ reports. More people means more reports, so populous counties tend to rank higher.

Hail statistics by county in South Dakota. Column headers sort the table.
Pennington40.851.813.64.50 in
Custer21.624.89.62.75 in
Meade20.624.09.64.00 in
Lawrence10.213.07.22.75 in
Fall River9.612.04.24.00 in
Minnehaha9.412.64.03.50 in
Butte8.610.24.64.00 in
Brown7.88.84.02.75 in
Harding7.88.23.23.60 in
Perkins7.68.63.22.75 in
Oglala Lakota7.28.44.82.50 in
Hutchinson6.27.22.42.75 in
Dewey6.26.64.04.00 in
Edmunds6.06.42.22.75 in
Todd6.06.42.64.50 in
Codington5.66.42.23.75 in
Jackson5.06.43.44.50 in
Lincoln4.65.82.61.75 in
Bennett4.65.43.64.25 in
Hughes4.44.82.24.50 in
Spink4.24.82.83.00 in
Day4.24.82.82.50 in
Bon Homme4.05.23.01.75 in
Gregory4.04.82.42.75 in
Faulk4.04.22.03.50 in
McCook3.64.63.02.75 in
Hand3.63.82.22.75 in
Yankton3.45.43.41.75 in
Haakon3.44.22.62.00 in
Jones3.44.02.22.50 in
Brookings3.44.02.21.75 in
Tripp3.24.22.61.75 in
Mellette3.23.82.61.75 in
Clark3.23.41.81.75 in
Union3.04.23.01.75 in
Hamlin3.03.82.21.75 in
Lake3.03.41.82.00 in
Lyman3.03.42.42.50 in
Stanley3.03.02.62.75 in
Beadle2.84.61.82.00 in
Charles Mix2.83.62.02.00 in
Jerauld2.63.21.02.25 in
Clay2.43.42.41.50 in
Turner2.43.22.21.25 in
Potter2.23.02.23.00 in
McPherson2.22.61.41.75 in
Corson2.22.41.61.75 in
Marshall2.22.21.22.00 in
Aurora2.03.42.41.75 in
Moody2.02.41.22.00 in
Ziebach2.02.41.62.00 in
Deuel2.02.21.62.00 in
Hyde2.02.01.61.75 in
Grant1.82.00.82.75 in
Walworth1.81.81.22.50 in
Kingsbury1.63.22.01.75 in
Davison1.42.81.41.25 in
Douglas1.42.01.02.50 in
Brule1.41.61.02.50 in
Roberts1.21.61.21.25 in
Sanborn1.01.41.21.50 in
Campbell0.81.61.02.00 in
Sully0.80.80.61.75 in
Miner0.61.00.82.75 in
Buffalo0.40.40.41.75 in
Hanson0.20.40.41.00 in

About these numbers

Hail reports from the NOAA Storm Events Database, 2021–2025, averaged per year. These are reports to the National Weather Service, not every storm: places with more people report more hail. Full methodology.

Cite: Home Stats Data, "South Dakota Hail Statistics," https://homestatsdata.com/storm-risk/hail-statistics/south-dakota/