Trenton, MO Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Trenton, Missouri, on May 16, 2026, producing 3.63-inch stones and maintaining a persistent radar hail signature from late afternoon into the overnight period.

What Happened

The event generated 64 NWS alerts from 4:18 PM CDT to 12:41 AM CDT, alternating between NWS warnings, dual-polarization radar detections, and radar-plus-spotter verifications. Alerts began as NWS warning-only notices at 4:18 PM CDT and progressed to routine radar-detected hail updates through the evening. Multiple radar-plus-spotter messages between 5:00 PM CDT and 6:00 PM CDT showed the strongest core moving east-northeast across central Grundy County and adjacent areas.

Spotters and social-media chasers placed the most intense activity just south of Trenton along Highway 65. Chaser posts around 5:17 PM CDT reported baseball-size hail in that corridor. mPING and observer submissions at 5:16 PM CDT recorded baseball-size stones as well. A cluster of social-media reports with photos and measurements appeared near 5:31 PM CDT, time-estimated from radar. Earlier, a report logged at 4:42 PM CDT noted a damaged windshield in the same north-south track.

Dual-polarization radar tracked recurring hail cores into the late evening, with detectable returns persisting past 11:00 PM CDT. Several later alerts between 10:00 PM CDT and 12:16 AM CDT continued to flag smaller hail signatures as the mesoscale system weakened and translated northeast.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and spotter photos show high-impact signatures concentrated south of Trenton, predominantly along Highway 65 and neighboring rural addresses. Multiple social-media submissions with measurements and photos submitted around 5:31 PM CDT document shattered vehicle glass and dented metal in that corridor. A spotter-reported windshield hit at 4:42 PM CDT aligns with the early passage of a strong echo noted on dual-polarization radar.

Observer uploads and mPING entries recorded numerous baseball- and large-golf-ball-size impacts between about 5:13 PM CDT and 5:31 PM CDT. Those reports coincide with a string of radar-plus-spotter alerts covering central Grundy County. The spatial clustering of measurements and photo-verified reports indicates a concentrated swath of damaging hail rather than a uniform field across the entire warning area.

Later evening returns showed smaller but still damaging hail signatures. Local reports after 8:00 PM CDT referenced golf-ball-size stones with scattered vehicle panel and siding dents. Damage reports are primarily residential and vehicular along the storm track; there are repeated mentions of vehicle roof and windshield damage in social-media posts tied to the same highway segment south of Trenton.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections for properties south and southeast of Trenton along Highway 65. Start with vehicle lots, exposed HVAC condensers, and single-layer asphalt shingle roofs. Multiple spotter photos from the 5:13 PM CDT–5:31 PM CDT window show concentrated impacts on vehicle glass and metal panels; anticipate similar patterns on south-facing roof slopes and exposed equipment.

Trenton, MO Hail Storm – May 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 65

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

More from Trenton