Olive, MT Hail Storm – June 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Olive, MT on June 7, 2026, producing 4.01-inch stones and an extended hail swath from late afternoon into the early overnight hours.

What Happened

The event began in the mid-afternoon and produced 62 NWS alerts between 3:01 PM MDT and 1:14 AM MDT the following morning. Dual-polarization radar detected hail on more than two dozen passes, three alerts were verified by both radar and spotters, one alert originated as a spotter report, and roughly half of the notifications were NWS warning-area advisories without independent radar or spotter verification. The sequence intensified in the late afternoon and early evening as cells propagated northeast across local terrain.

Around 5:20 PM MDT, spotters southeast of Sentinel Butte described stones roughly tennis-ball to baseball size. Broadcast media relayed a 3.0-inch measurement at about 5:30 PM MDT. Two field reports at 6:00 PM MDT recorded 3.25-inch stones measured after partial melting. Radar and spotter verification of the largest stones occurred near 5:59 PM MDT. Short-duration, intense bursts were common; observers timed hail durations of about three minutes at 6:07 PM MDT and roughly six minutes near Medora Campground at 5:42 PM MDT. Later evening alerts continued to show smaller, radar-detected hail echoes across the broader warning area into the early overnight period.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar both indicate concentrated surface impacts in and around Sentinel Butte, southeast corridors from Olive, and the Medora Campground area. Spotters documented multi-inch stones measured after melting at 6:00 PM MDT and broadcast-relayed measurements near 5:30 PM MDT. Those localized reports coincide with radar-indicated hail echoes that traversed the same tracks.

Observed impacts reported from observers included tennis-ball to baseball-size stones near Sentinel Butte and multiple measurements of multi-inch stones near established reporting points. The Medora Campground report notes sustained hail for approximately six minutes, enough to cause accumulations on exposed surfaces and readily dent metal and vehicular panels. Reports of three-minute intense bursts at other locations indicate concentrated pitting and shingle granule loss on exposed roofs where the storm tracked directly overhead.

Damage was not uniform across the NWS warning area. Radar detections and spotter reports show a narrow swath of the most severe impacts embedded within a broader zone of smaller hail echoes. That pattern produced pockets of heavy vehicle and siding damage adjacent to stretches that saw little lasting impact.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections on properties downtrack from Sentinel Butte, in the southeast approach corridors from Olive, and at Medora Campground. Start with photographic documentation of vehicle panels, soft metal components, HVAC units, and roofing material. In locations with reports of multi-inch stones, expect fractured fiberglass skylights, collapsed vinyl features, and identifiable shingle fracture patterns; in shorter-duration strikes, expect concentrated granule loss and puncture marks on lower-slope roofing.

Olive, MT Hail Storm – June 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 63

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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