Ledger, MT Hail Storm – August 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm crossed the Ledger, MT area on August 20, 2025, with confirmed hail reaching 1.75 inches during the afternoon and continuing into early evening. The event produced a series of nine NWS hail alerts, with radar confidence strongest between 2:44 PM MDT and 6:09 PM MDT.

The first alert came at 2:44 PM MDT with 1.5-inch hail indicated by dual-polarization radar. The next pass at 3:08 PM MDT raised the hail size to 1.75 inches. Additional radar alerts followed at 3:23 PM MDT, 3:25 PM MDT, 3:55 PM MDT, and 4:13 PM MDT, holding the storm in the 1-inch to 1.5-inch range as it moved through the area.

By late afternoon, the hail signal remained consistent. A 5:09 PM MDT alert was supported by radar and spotter verification at 1 inch, followed by radar-based alerts at 5:11 PM MDT and 6:09 PM MDT that also held at 1 inch. The sequence shows a long-lived storm with repeated hail cores rather than a brief pulse.

Field reports added ground detail. At 5:38 PM MDT, a spotter reported a social media photo of hail estimated at 1.25 inches or slightly larger about 1 mile south of Havre, with the time estimated from radar. Another report at 6:26 PM MDT noted minor residential street flooding and flooded sections of Highway 2 near the viaduct.

Damage Assessment

The field reports point to localized surface impact, not a broad damage footprint. The hail report south of Havre places stones in the 1.25-inch range, which matches the radar signal showing repeated large hail across the afternoon. The flooding report along Highway 2 near the viaduct adds a separate water-impact note from the same storm period.

The reports do not describe widespread structural damage. The documented effects were concentrated in shallow street flooding and hail on the order of small golf balls or slightly larger in a limited area south of Havre. No roof-loss, tree-fall, or vehicle totals were included in the available ground truth.

The timing also matters. The spotter-verified hail photo came at 5:38 PM MDT, after several earlier radar alerts had already flagged large hail. The flooded roadway report at 6:26 PM MDT came near the end of the storm sequence, when repeated hail alerts were still active in the broader warning area.

For contractors, the main takeaway is clear. This was not a single isolated hail core. It was a multi-hour storm with overlapping radar-confirmed hail signatures and at least two field reports showing real surface impacts in and around the Ledger and Havre corridor.

What Contractors Should Know

Roof and exterior inspections should start with the areas most likely to show impact from repeated hail passes. On storms like this, the first checks should include soft metals, vents, flashing, window trim, and east- and south-facing slopes where repeated stones often leave the earliest marks. Crews should also note that the radar sequence held hail potential for several hours, so damage can be uneven across nearby properties.