Dawson, ND Hail Storm – August 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm crossed Dawson, ND, on August 5, 2025, with spotter-verified 1.5-inch stones and heavy rain reported through late afternoon and early evening. The event produced eight NWS hail alerts between 3:56 PM CDT and 6:12 PM CDT, with the strongest reports centered in the 4 PM hour.

The first alerts at 3:56 PM CDT and 4:02 PM CDT carried 1-inch hail estimates based on dual-polarization radar. By 4:25 PM CDT, the hail signal had increased to 1.5 inches, and that size was repeated in alerts at 4:39 PM CDT, 4:44 PM CDT, 4:46 PM CDT, and 5:34 PM CDT. The final alert at 6:12 PM CDT backed down to 1-inch hail, still with radar and spotter confidence.

Field reports matched a prolonged storm footprint. At 5:30 PM CDT, a report relayed through broadcast media said rain fell in less than an hour, with an estimated total of 4.1 inches. By 6:35 PM CDT, trained spotters reported 3 inches of rainfall with small pea-sized hail mixed in, and another report at 6:45 PM CDT listed 6.19 inches from the North Dakota Agriculture Weather Network with rain still falling. The sequence points to a hail-producing storm that also carried a high-rainfall core through the Dawson area.

Damage Assessment

The ground reports show a wet surface, repeated hail observations, and rainfall totals that climbed fast enough to keep water on the ground while the storm was still in progress. The 4.1-inch estimate in less than an hour, followed by the 3-inch and 6.19-inch reports later in the evening, indicates a storm with sustained precipitation rather than a brief pass.

The hail reports were smaller in the field than the radar peak during part of the event. Spotters noted pea-sized hail mixed with rain at 6:35 PM CDT, while the warning sequence earlier in the afternoon included multiple 1.5-inch radar estimates and at least two alerts with radar and spotter verification. That combination suggests localized hail impact within a broader rain-heavy storm path.

No widespread structural damage reports were included in the source material. The available ground truth points to water-related impacts, temporary hail accumulation in exposed areas, and the kind of surface conditions that follow repeated downpours. The reports do not describe roof loss, vehicle breakage, or wind-driven structural failure.

For contractors, the key pattern is not isolated hail alone. It is hail embedded in a high-rainfall storm that stayed active across several hours, which often leaves mixed service calls across the same neighborhood blocks and farm sites. Roof and soft-metal checks should focus on the most exposed surfaces first, then move to gutters, downspouts, siding corners, and field equipment that sat through the heaviest rain.

What Contractors Should Know

Dawson sits in a rural service area where access routes can change quickly during a storm with this much rain. Plan for slow travel, standing water, and isolated drives to outlying properties. If you are canvassing the area, start with the properties that received the earliest hail alerts, then work east or west only after confirming the storm track and road conditions.