Orleans, CA Hail Storm – April 2026

What Happened

A severe hail storm is tracking through Orleans, CA, on April 9, 2026, with the peak verified hail size at 1.5 inches and additional radar-detected hail continuing into the late afternoon and early evening.

The first NWS alert came at 12:39 PM PDT with 1-inch hail noted by spotter report confidence. A second alert followed at 12:48 PM PDT with the same hail size. Field reports in Orleans at 12:45 PM PDT described up to quarter-size hail, or 1 inch, with spotter verification. Another spotter-verified report at 1:36 PM PDT noted multiple reports of half-inch to near quarter-size hail in town.

Radar intelligence strengthened after the first reports. At 1:12 PM PDT, dual-polarization radar detected 1.25-inch hail. By 2:24 PM PDT, the radar signal increased to 1.5 inches. Later alerts at 4:13 PM PDT and 5:22 PM PDT again showed 1.25-inch hail as the storm continued to move through the Orleans area.

The storm remains active. Conditions may still be developing along the warning area as the hail core shifts through the Somes-Bar, CA metro and nearby locations.

Damage Assessment

The field reports point to a narrow hail swath through Orleans with repeated spotter verification inside the town center. The 12:45 PM report of quarter-size hail and the later 1:36 PM report of half-inch to near quarter-size hail show a storm that produced measurable hail at the surface over more than one round.

The radar sequence shows a stronger core aloft than the earliest ground reports. The jump from 1-inch spotter reports to 1.25-inch and then 1.5-inch radar-detected hail suggests the storm intensified after the first round of hail reached the ground. The later 1.25-inch detections at 4:13 PM PDT and 5:22 PM PDT show the hail threat continuing rather than ending after the first pass.

For surface impact, Orleans is the primary point of concern in this event. The repeated reports from the same community, paired with multiple NWS alerts through the afternoon, indicate a focused hail track rather than scattered isolated stones. No broader damage survey has been added here, and no other town in the metro has comparable field reporting in the data provided.

What Contractors Should Know

This is a live hail event in Orleans, not a finished storm track. Crews working in and around the town should expect fresh roof, siding, and soft-metal checks to find the earliest signs of impact near the reported hail corridor.

Pay close attention to the first run of residential inspections in Orleans proper. The reports point to repeated hail reaching the ground in the same area, so roof slopes, gutters, vents, skylight edges, and vehicle exposure in open parking areas are the first places to verify. If you are staging work from the Somes-Bar metro, the immediate lead pack should stay centered on Orleans until the active warning area clears.