Wheatland, WY Hail Storm – June 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Wheatland, Wyoming on June 1, 2026, producing 1.94-inch stones and a long sequence of radar-detected and spotter-verified alerts. The event persisted from mid-day into early evening and moved across the Wheatland area in multiple pulses.

What Happened

Sixteen NWS alerts were issued for the Wheatland warning area between 12:47 PM MDT (18:47 UTC) and 6:41 PM MDT (00:41 UTC). Early to mid-afternoon activity produced repeated dual-polarization radar detections of hail across the local radar footprint. A spotter and emergency manager network provided on-the-ground verification during the mid-afternoon pulse. A trained spotter reported quarter-size hail near Wheatland Reservoir Number 1 at 1:13 PM MDT (19:13 UTC). A follow-up spotter message at 1:30 PM MDT (19:30 UTC) confirmed quarter-size stones in Wheatland and minor ponding on roads. Emergency management again reported abundant quarter-size hail at 2:26 PM MDT (20:26 UTC) and 2:29 PM MDT (20:29 UTC).

Radar returns intensified again in the late afternoon and early evening. Multiple dual-polarization radar alerts appeared between 4:30 PM and 6:41 PM MDT, including detections indicating larger hail signals in the later pulses. Several NWS warning-area entries during the 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM window relied on warning issuance without additional spotter reports. Field observations during the mid-afternoon pulses remained concentrated in and immediately around Wheatland while radar suggested the largest returns shifted along the storm track later in the day.

Damage Assessment

Field reports recorded quarter-size hail and localized ponding on roadways near Wheatland Reservoir Number 1 and within Wheatland proper. Emergency managers and trained spotters repeatedly described quarter-size accumulations during the mid-afternoon pulses. Local spotters did not file reports of roof failures, collapsed structures, or injury in the submitted LSRs for this event.

Radar-detected larger hail signals in the late afternoon and early evening indicate the potential for isolated higher-impact pockets outside the core of town. Those radar-indicated pockets do not have matching spotter statements in the public field reports. Reported impacts to vehicles and structures from the available local observations were limited to minor accumulation and short-lived ponding on road surfaces in the areas noted by spotters.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect priorities: begin with properties documented by spotters and emergency management. Start at Wheatland Reservoir Number 1 and the adjacent blocks where trained spotters reported quarter-size hail at 1:13 PM MDT (19:13 UTC) and 1:30 PM MDT (19:30 UTC). Continue through central Wheatland locations cited at 2:26 PM MDT (20:26 UTC) and 2:29 PM MDT (20:29 UTC). Those locations have the clearest ground-truth for impact.