Limon, CO Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Limon, CO on May 16, 2026, producing 3.48-inch hail and a long radar-detected hail track through the late afternoon and early evening.

What Happened

The event began in the early afternoon with radar-detected hail signatures first reported at 2:27 PM MDT. NWS products expanded into a warning area that produced 38 separate alerts over the next six hours. Radar detections intensified in the late afternoon, and by mid- to late-afternoon dual-polarization radar indicated multiple strong hail cores moving northeast from the Limon vicinity.

Spotter and public reports clustered in a narrow corridor northeast of Limon. At 4:30 PM MDT social media video and spotter reports near Ruleton described golf ball to baseball-sized hail. Multiple spotters measured hail with calipers at 6:00 PM MDT, reporting 2.70-inch stones on the ground. Other observer reports between 4:55 PM and 5:39 PM MDT recorded repeated 2.5-inch and 2.4-inch measurements. Those field reports align with radar detections that showed repeated 2–2.9-inch echo estimates through the 5 PM hour.

The sequence shows an early-afternoon onset, a late-afternoon intensification with spotter-verified large stones, and radar-derived peak signatures toward early evening. Several NWS warnings in the warning area were issued as the hail cores propagated northeast across primarily rural road networks and agricultural land.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar signatures indicate the most concentrated surface impacts north of Ruleton and along the corridor northeast of Limon. Social media video at 4:30 PM MDT captured substantial accumulations and impacts consistent with large, rapidly falling stones in that area. Multiple spotter-verified measurements of 2.4–2.75 inches were recorded on the ground between 4:30 PM MDT and 6:00 PM MDT.

Local observers described broken windows on agricultural outbuildings and denting to parked farm vehicles north of Ruleton. A ham radio operator relayed a measured 2.4-inch stone that had been lying on the ground at about 5:28 PM MDT. The pattern of reports and radar echoes indicates concentrated hard-impact strikes on exposed equipment and unshielded vehicles along county roads northeast of Limon.

Radar-detected hail returns persisted into the early evening, and later NWS warning-area alerts show the storm continued to produce smaller hail as it exited the immediate Limon corridor. Damage reports were primarily on rural structures, farm equipment, and vehicles; there are no widespread urban damage reports tied to this storm in the field data.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in the corridor northeast of Limon and the Ruleton area. Inspect roofs, skylights, metal roofs, and solar arrays for pitting and penetrations where spotters recorded large stones. Photographs with a measurement reference and time stamp taken before any repair work will be critical for estimating impact size and documenting loss.