Bozeman, MT Hail Storm – July 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through the Bozeman, MT metro on July 5, 2026, producing stones up to 1.84 inches and producing multiple radar-detected and spotter-verified impacts in the early evening.

What Happened

NWS issued a series of eight alerts for the Bozeman area between mid-afternoon and late evening on July 5. The sequence began in the mid-afternoon with NWS warning-only messages and evolved to multiple dual-polarization radar detections later in the day. Radar-derived hail estimates increased through the afternoon and early evening, with radar indications of 1.25- to 1.5-inch stones during the period before spotter reports arrived.

A trained spotter in the Bozeman area reported hail varying from dimes to golf balls at 6:48 PM MDT (00:48 UTC). A delayed social-media report at 8:10 PM MDT (02:10 UTC) described ping-pong to golf ball-sized hail in parts of the metro. Several later NWS warning-only alerts followed the radar detections into the late evening.

The event combined consecutive NWS alert polygons and multiple radar-detected hail echoes that tracked across the Bozeman metro. The spotter and social reports align with the radar-detected hail track through the early evening hours.

Damage Assessment

Field reports place the strongest surface impacts inside the Bozeman metro where radar detections and spotter observations overlapped. The trained spotter account at 6:48 PM MDT (00:48 UTC) and the social-media account at 8:10 PM MDT (02:10 UTC) indicate concentrated surface hailfall in populated parts of the city during the early evening.

Local imagery and posts cited by spotters showed visible accumulation on lawns and vehicles in neighborhoods inside the metro limits. Where spotter-verified stones reached the larger reported sizes, expect high probability of visible vehicle denting and localized roof shingle bruising on exposed coverings. Reports in this dataset did not include geotagged insurance claims or formal structural-loss assessments tied to individual addresses.

Radar-derived hail echoes show a coherent swath across the metro that matches the timing of the two spotter reports. Areas inside the overlapping radar and spotter path should be prioritized for field inspections. NWS warning-only alerts bracketed the event and indicate the alert area was broader than the concentrated surface impacts captured by spotters and radar.

What Contractors Should Know

Start inspections by matching field observations to the radar-detected hail track and the two spotter timestamps. Use the 6:48 PM MDT (00:48 UTC) trained spotter location and the 8:10 PM MDT (02:10 UTC) social report as anchor points. Inspect exposed vehicles, RVs, and metal roof edges first. Check south- and west-facing roof slopes for shingle bruising and granule loss where stones would have had direct trajectory into the metro.