Antigo, WI Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through the Antigo, WI metro on May 27, 2026, producing 2.27-inch stones and generating a sequence of radar- and warning-based NWS alerts in the late afternoon and early evening.

What Happened

NWS issued 13 alerts associated with this storm between 3:27 PM CDT and 8:26 PM CDT. Early alerts around 3:27 PM and 3:59 PM were radar-detected estimates near one inch to 1.25 inches. The alert stream continued through the late afternoon with multiple dual-polarization radar hail detections and a series of NWS warning-only advisories into the early evening.

Spotter reports cluster in a concentrated late-afternoon window. At 4:37 PM two mPING submissions measured hen-egg sized stones at 2.00 inches. At 4:34 PM a separate mPING submission measured ping-pong ball sized hail at 1.50 inches. Multiple mPING observers between 4:46 PM and 4:51 PM reported half-dollar sized hail at 1.25 inches. A local broadcast source reported 1.5-inch hail at 4:16 PM. The Wausau Downtown Airport recorded quarter-size hail at 4:19 PM. Later field inputs include a photo-confirmed hail observation at 6:58 PM and a 0.75-inch report on the north side of I‑94 in Black River Falls at 7:57 PM.

Radar detections and spotter measurements align on timing and placement of the strongest cores. Early radar-estimated hail values were lower. Mid-afternoon radar returns intensified through the 4:00 PM hour, coincident with the cluster of spotter measurements. A later round of radar alerts and a single photo-confirmed observation show renewed hail activity near and after twilight.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar detections indicate concentrated surface impacts across the Antigo metro and nearby reporting points between roughly 4:15 PM and 4:51 PM. The local dataset contains two separate 2.00-inch mPING reports at 4:37 PM, multiple 1.25-inch mPING submissions in the 4:46–4:51 PM window, a broadcast report of 1.5-inch hail at 4:16 PM, and a quarter-size observation at Wausau Downtown Airport at 4:19 PM. A photo-confirmed observation at 6:58 PM documents an additional, later impact location.

No NWS local storm report in the provided dataset included a formal account of building collapse, large-scale structural failure, or prolonged power outage linked to this storm. Reported hail sizes on the ground ranged from 0.75 inch to 2.00 inches in the submitted observations. The pattern in the reports points to focused surface strikes rather than a uniformly damaging swath across the entire metro.

Damage notes are confined to the submitted field observations and the radar-detected hail swaths. Do not infer additional statewide impacts beyond the specific locations and times recorded by spotters and radar detections.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect vehicle fleets and outdoor equipment that were in the Antigo metro between about 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Multiple spotter submissions recorded 1.25-inch stones in a tight time window and two independent 2.00-inch measurements at 4:37 PM. Prioritize dents to sheet metal, exposed HVAC condensers, and vehicle glazing where equipment was left uncovered along likely storm trajectories.