Vivian, SD Hail Storm – July 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Vivian, South Dakota on July 25, 2026, producing 3.31-inch stones and long-lived hail cores across the area. The event generated 27 NWS alerts and multiple on-the-ground reports from spotters in and near Vivian.

What Happened

The storm developed into a persistent hail-producing cell in the late afternoon and moved across the Vivian area in several pulses. Dual-polarization NEXRAD identified intense hail cores beginning in the mid-afternoon, with radar-detected large hail returns around 3:16 PM CDT and renewed high-reflectivity cores near 4:04 PM CDT and 5:28 PM CDT. NWS warnings continued through the evening as the system produced repeated hail echoes and smaller follow-up cores.

A trained spotter in the Vivian vicinity reported 2.5-inch diameter hail with very heavy rain and wind gusts up to 60 mph at 3:25 PM CDT, and noted the storm lasted roughly 20 to 25 minutes from start to finish. A second observer near Vivian described several vehicles with broken windshields, with the time of damage estimated by radar at 4:33 PM CDT. Those field observations align with the strongest radar cores recorded during the mid-afternoon to early evening window.

Late-afternoon and evening NWS alerts included multiple warning-only messages indicating confirmed severe hail conditions by watches and warnings, along with radar-detected hail returns of varying sizes as the cell complex weakened and redeveloped. The alert stream shows a high frequency of warnings concentrated between mid-afternoon and early evening over the Vivian metro area.

Damage Assessment

Field reports show concentrated surface impacts in and immediately around Vivian. The spotter-verified 2.5-inch report and a separate observer account of smashed vehicle windshields indicate localized severe roof and glass risk where the large cores crossed populated roadways and property clusters. The 3:25 PM CDT observation also cited very heavy rain and 60 mph gusts, which increases the likelihood of water intrusion where roofing materials were compromised.

Radar-detected cores at times corresponding to the spotter reports suggest the most severe impacts were limited to the storm’s narrow track through Vivian rather than a broad, uniform swath across the county. Reported windshield breakage at approximately 4:33 PM CDT identifies vehicle fleets and parked cars along that axis as immediate inspection priorities. On-site assessments should verify shingle fracture patterns, denting on metal surfaces, and broken glazing consistent with the observed hail sizes and wind gusts.

What Contractors Should Know

Plan inspections beginning at the noted observation points and times. Start with properties and vehicles along the radar-indicated core axis near where the 3:25 PM CDT and 4:33 PM CDT spotter reports originated. Photograph impact sites with a date-stamped workflow. Prioritize roofing systems showing granule loss, fractured tabs, or localized punctures. Check skylights, gutters, soffit vents, and exposed HVAC units for concentrated damage consistent with large stone impact.