BUF Area, US Hail Storm – March 2026

What Happened

The BUF Area, US saw a concluded hail storm on 2026-03-31 with a maximum verified hail size of 1.5 inches. Five NWS hail alerts were issued between 1:41 PM CDT and 3:30 PM CDT, with each report supported by spotter-verified hail sizes.

The first alert came at 1:41 PM CDT with 1.5-inch hail. Three more reports followed at 2:26 PM CDT, 2:43 PM CDT, and 3:06 PM CDT, each with 1.25-inch hail. The final alert arrived at 3:30 PM CDT with 1-inch hail. The sequence shows a storm complex that held damaging hail for nearly two hours across the metro area.

Report timing stayed clustered through the afternoon. The largest hail was reported first, then repeated 1.25-inch reports through the mid-afternoon, before the size trended down late in the event.

Damage Assessment

Hail in the 1.25-inch to 1.5-inch range can break roof accessories, dent gutters, bruise siding, and damage soft metals on homes and commercial buildings. Vehicles in exposed lots can show visible roof, hood, and trim damage. Skylights, vinyl components, and older shingles are also vulnerable in this size range.

Because the event produced multiple spotter-verified hail reports, contractors should expect a mixed field of impact rather than a single uniform swath. Some structures in the warning area may show only cosmetic strikes. Others may have concentrated damage where the larger stones repeated during the earlier part of the storm.

On post-event inspections, focus first on north- and west-facing elevations, roof slopes with direct exposure, and unsecured exterior assets. Check ridge caps, flashing, gutters, downspouts, window trim, HVAC housings, and fleet vehicles parked outside during the afternoon storm window.

Document condition before cleanup. Photograph each elevation, note bruise patterns on soft metals, and separate impact marks from pre-existing wear. Keep hail size estimates tied to the time of the report and the property location. The 1.5-inch report at 1:41 PM CDT and the 1.25-inch reports that followed are the key markers for field triage.

What Contractors Should Know

Start canvassing in the parts of the warning area closest to the earliest 1.5-inch report. The first pass should cover roofs, gutters, siding, and vehicles in neighborhoods and commercial strips that were under the storm path during the 1:41 PM CDT to 3:06 PM CDT window. Ask owners about sounds of impact, spatter marks on windows, and vehicles left outdoors.

Use the smaller 1-inch report at 3:30 PM CDT as a lower-bound check, not a cleanup signal. Later hail reports can still produce repairs on roofs already weakened by the earlier strikes. When crews find repeated impact on soft metals or accessories, flag adjacent properties for follow-up inspections.

For estimates, separate storm-driven damage from aging materials. Roofs with prior granule loss, loose flashing, or brittle vinyl may show more visible impact. Commercial sites with large parking exposure may need photo logs by row and building face, not a single site-wide note.