Belfield, ND Hail Storm – July 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm moved through Belfield, North Dakota, on July 4, 2025, producing verified stones up to 1.75 inches. The event unfolded through the evening and into the early hours of July 5, with multiple NWS alerts and one spotter-verified report of quarter-size hail at 9:15 PM CDT.

The first high-confidence alert came at 8:17 PM CDT, when radar and a spotter both supported 1.75-inch hail. A second alert at 8:50 PM CDT kept the same hail size on dual-polarization radar confidence. By 9:12 PM CDT, the storm still carried 1.5-inch hail, and a follow-up alert at 9:37 PM CDT held that size on radar confidence alone.

Field reporting lined up with that sequence. At 9:15 PM CDT, a social media video described heavy rain and hail estimated up to the size of a quarter, and that report was verified at 1 inch. Later alerts showed the storm weakening but still capable of hail. Radar continued to detect 1.25-inch hail at 11:37 PM CDT, then 1-inch hail at 12:15 AM CDT and again at 3:04 AM CDT.

The storm remained organized long enough to generate seven alerts across roughly seven hours. Early warnings carried the largest hail sizes. Later warnings showed a gradual step-down in hail size through the overnight period.

Damage Assessment

The verified field report points to localized surface impact in and around Belfield, with quarter-size hail and heavy rain documented by video at 9:15 PM CDT. The report did not describe structural damage, but it confirms hail reached the ground in a spotter-verified observation during the main phase of the storm.

Radar and spotter data together show a hail core that started strong and then narrowed in intensity. The 1.75-inch alerts came first. The verified 1-inch ground report followed within minutes, which places the heaviest hail near the start of the observed event window. Later alerts at 1.5 inches, 1.25 inches, and 1 inch show a storm that kept producing hail after the peak had passed.

For property owners in Belfield, that pattern calls for a close look at exposed surfaces. Roof coverings, soft metals, vents, skylights, gutters, siding, and vehicle panels are the first places to check after an evening hail event of this size. Hail that reaches quarter size or larger can leave marks that are not obvious from the ground right away. Small losses often show up first at roof edges, ridge caps, window trim, and downspouts.

The report timing also matters. The strongest hail passed through during evening hours, then continued overnight in a weaker form. That sequence can leave mixed damage across the same neighborhood, with some structures taking the earlier larger stones and others seeing only the later smaller hail.

What Contractors Should Know

Belfield saw a multi-hour hail event, not a short pulse. That puts a premium on route planning and inspection order. Start with properties closest to the verified 9:15 PM CDT report and work outward along the warning path. The early alerts carried the largest hail sizes, so the first half of the event is the priority for roof and exterior checks.