Hettinger, ND Hail Storm – July 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Hettinger, North Dakota on July 9, 2026, producing up to 2.36-inch stones and a string of radar-detected hail alerts across the evening. The event ran from early evening into late night and included spotter-verified golf-ball reports near town.

What Happened

Storm activity began in the early evening and intensified in a multi-zone pattern across the Hettinger area. NWS products recorded 12 separate hail alerts between 5:56 PM CDT and 11:40 PM CDT. Most alerts were based on dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection; a subset were issued as NWS warning-only alerts. Initial radar detections at 5:56 PM CDT showed 1.5-inch signatures. Radar continued to flag 1.5-inch to 1.75-inch signatures through the early evening and returned a 2.24-inch radar detection at 11:40 PM CDT near the final storm cells.

Two independent spotters near Hettinger provided field observations at 6:30 PM CDT, each reporting "A few golf balls," with estimated sizes of about 1.75 inches. Those spotter-verified reports coincide with the cluster of 1.5-inch to 1.75-inch radar detections recorded across the same time window. Several NWS warning-only alerts also bracketed the event, indicating periods when forecasters issued warnings without corresponding dual-polarization hail returns.

The sequence shows a core period of significant hail signature intensity in the early evening and a late-evening resurgence that produced the largest radar-derived hail sizes. The data set for this multi-zone event mixes radar-detected hail signatures and spotter verification rather than a single continuous hail swath.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar indicate localized pockets of golf-ball sized hail concentrated near Hettinger in the early evening. Two spotter-verified reports at 6:30 PM CDT specifically cited "a few golf balls" at about 1.75 inches. Those reports align with the radar-detected cluster of 1.5-inch to 1.75-inch returns over the same timeframe. A later radar detection at 11:40 PM CDT registered a 2.24-inch signature on the system's southern flank, indicating potential for isolated larger stones outside the initial spotter area.

No additional local storm reports supplied to the NWS archive indicate widespread structural collapse or catastrophic damage within Hettinger during this event. The available evidence documents surface impact consistent with localized golf-ball hail in the immediate vicinity of the spotter observations and radar-detected pockets of larger hail later in the evening. Property owners within the warning area should expect denting, broken skylight glazing, and bruising to asphalt shingles where the 1.5-inch to 2-inch-plus signatures intersect developed parcels.

What Contractors Should Know

Field teams should prioritize inspections within the NWS warning area and along the radar-detected hail track corridors that passed near Hettinger. Begin with properties closest to the spotter locations logged at 6:30 PM CDT and then expand outward along the direction of the late-evening radar intensification. Document each inspection with time-stamped photos showing a scale reference and the location relative to Hettinger township boundaries.