Aug 17–24, 2026 Storm Activity – Hail Across Central Plains

Week in Review

StormSnipe detected 15 hail events from August 17–24, 2026 across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Mississippi. Aggregate events included five detections of hail 3.5 inches or larger and three detections at 4.0 inches. Detection method: dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection. Address counts mapped to each event range from 0 to 724, useful for canvass and deployment planning.

Total events: 15. Maximum reported radar-derived hail size: 4.0 inches (Weldona, CO and Foxworth, MS). High-address events concentrated in Nebraska with multiple towns above 300 addresses.

Notable Events

• Weldona, CO – 2026-08-22 – 4.00 in – 0 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Oelrichs, SD – 2026-08-21 – 3.97 in – 0 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Dalton, NE – 2026-08-22 – 3.50 in – 109 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• North Loup, NE – 2026-08-18 – 3.75 in – 724 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Stuart, NE – 2026-08-19 – 3.00 in – 295 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Pine Ridge, SD – 2026-08-21 – 3.00 in – 0 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Colby, KS – 2026-08-21 – 3.09 in – 20 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Foxworth, MS – 2026-08-21 – 4.00 in – 0 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Valentine, NE – 2026-08-20 – 3.25 in – 636 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Potter, NE – 2026-08-22 – 3.00 in – 555 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Potter, NE – 2026-08-22 – 3.00 in – 159 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Potter, NE – 2026-08-22 – 3.00 in – 15 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Limon, CO – 2026-08-19 – 2.54 in – 323 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Stockville, NE – 2026-08-21 – 3.64 in – 0 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection
• Dix, NE – 2026-08-22 – 3.00 in – 23 addresses – dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection

Each line lists town, date, radar-derived maximum hail diameter in inches, the number of addresses mapped within the NWS warning area, and the detection source. Use the address counts to set canvass priorities and route planning.

Regional Patterns

Nebraska concentrated the highest address exposure for this week. North Loup registered 724 addresses in the warning area on August 18. Valentine and Potter combined account for 1,350 addresses across multiple detections between August 20 and August 22. These clusters create contiguous canvass opportunities across north-central and central Nebraska.

Colorado produced two high-end diameter detections. Weldona registered 4.00 inches on August 22 with no addresses mapped in the warning area. Limon registered 2.54 inches on August 19 with 323 addresses. The split between large-diameter detections and address coverage points to localized storm cores over lower-population zones, with isolated opportunities near Limon.

South Dakota had two large hail detections on August 21. Oelrichs recorded 3.97 inches and Pine Ridge recorded 3.00 inches. Both detections have zero addresses mapped within the NWS alert area, indicating rural impact zones.

Kansas and Mississippi each had single, notable detections. Colby, KS recorded 3.09 inches with 20 addresses on August 21. Foxworth, MS recorded 4.00 inches on August 21 with zero addresses mapped, representing a high-diameter, low-address event.

Multiple detections in Potter, NE on August 22 indicate overlapping radar returns and fragmented warning polygons. One Potter detection includes 555 addresses, another 159, and a smaller 15-address detection. Treat these as distinct radar-confirmed cores within the same general corridor for canvass sequencing.

What Contractors Should Watch

• Prioritize canvass in north-central Nebraska. North Loup (724), Valentine (636), and Potter (555) comprise the largest contiguous address exposure this week. Schedule door knocks, inspections, and initial outreach in that order.

• Assign at least two inspection crews to Valentine and Potter within the first 72 hours post-event. Combined address volumes exceed 1,100 across those two locations, making rapid triage efficient for assignment and follow-up.

• Use the Dalton (109) and Limon (323) address counts for secondary routing. These pockets fit within single-day canvass plans when paired with nearby towns.

• Do not deprioritize high-diameter detections in low-address areas. Weldona, Oelrichs, and Foxworth registered near-4.0-inch radar detections. Plan for targeted field verification where access and logistics allow. These events can generate lead opportunities along travel corridors adjacent to the sparse warning polygons.

• Treat multiple detections at the same town on the same date as separate radar cores. Potter had three distinct radar detections on August 22 with separate address counts. Map each detection polygon to street-level routing before assigning crews.

• Expect rural access and seasonal staffing constraints. Several events occurred in sparsely populated zones. Factor in drive times and crew size when estimating daily capacity for inspections.

• Where address count is zero, confirm municipal boundaries and minor-road coverage before cancelling outreach. Zero addresses within the warning polygon can still correspond to nearby properties outside the polygon that may have received hail.

• Coordinate data feeds with on-the-ground spotter reports when available. Radar-derived diameters identify cores. Field verification confirms surface impacts and insurance-reportable damage.

Forward-looking note on atmospheric setup for the coming week

Upper-level flow is expected to flatten across the western CONUS, with a transient trough over the northern Plains and a weak surface frontal zone moving slowly southeast. This setup favors renewed convective chances across the central Plains and portions of the High Plains, with isolated severe hail risk concentrated where instability overlaps stronger shear. Monitor next-day sounding profiles and evolving radar-derived hail detections for new canvass opportunities.