Douglas, WY Hail Storm – June 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through the Douglas, Wyoming metro on June 22, 2026, producing 3.07-inch stones and a long sequence of radar- and spotter-verified impacts. The event generated 17 NWS alerts between 2:07 PM MDT and 10:56 PM MDT and produced multiple ground reports across Scottsbluff, Dalton, and nearby road corridors.

What Happened

Dual-polarization radar first flagged 1.0-inch hail near the metro at 2:07 PM MDT. Subsequent radar-detected alerts showed a steady intensification through the afternoon and early evening. By 3:37 PM MDT radar returns indicated roughly 1.8-inch hail, and by late afternoon detections exceeded 2.0 inches. An NWS-issued warning at 5:56 PM MDT noted 2.75-inch hail in the warning area. Radar again detected 2.75-inch values shortly after 6:13 PM MDT. The alert stream continued into late evening with detections down to 1.26–1.5 inches and final radar flags at 10:56 PM MDT.

Multiple spotters supplied surface confirmation during the period of heaviest returns. Media and spotter-verified reports at 5:56 PM MDT described baseball-size hail in downtown Scottsbluff. Observers along Sunflower Road reported tennis-ball-size hail around 5:43 PM MDT. A trained spotter located a two-inch stone west of Dalton after the storm moved through at approximately 6:58 PM MDT. Other field entries recorded a majority of stones the size of golf balls, with a few larger tennis-ball-size pieces, around 6:11 PM MDT. Radar-detected echoes and these ground reports align spatially along the storm track through the Douglas metro and adjacent counties.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and on-scene observations show localized severe surface impact in discrete pockets across the warning area. Broken windshields were reported at 4:36 PM MDT on roads near the storm path. Multiple media and spotter-verified entries at 5:56 PM MDT describe baseball-size hail striking structures and vehicles in downtown Scottsbluff. Repeated observer notes from Sunflower Road at 5:43 PM MDT cite tennis-ball-size hail causing concentrated surface scouring on exposed surfaces.

A trained spotter's post-storm recovery of a two-inch stone west of Dalton establishes direct ground evidence of large stones in that corridor. Several spotter entries at 5:54 PM MDT list radar-based estimates that match observed vehicle glass damage and dented metal in nearby neighborhoods. Reports of predominantly golf-ball-size hail with a subset of tennis-ball-size pieces at 6:11 PM MDT indicate spatial variability in stone size over just a few miles. Damage was not uniform across the metro. Impacts cluster where observers and media reported baseball- and tennis-ball-size hail, and where radar-derived hail signatures peaked within the NWS warning area.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in three corridors: downtown Scottsbluff, Sunflower Road, and the area west of Dalton. Start with vehicle glass and accessible exterior glass at downtown addresses where multiple reports indicate baseball-size impacts. Document each vehicle with GPS-tagged photos and timestamps. Expect to find fractured windshields, concentrated denting on horizontal surfaces, and isolated punctures consistent with large, high-velocity stones.