Patagonia, AZ Hail Storm – August 2026

Patagonia, AZ experienced a concluded hail-producing storm on August 3, 2026, with peak hail up to 3.59 inches. The event produced a series of NWS alerts and mixed radar and warning-only detections from mid-afternoon into late evening.

What Happened

The storm produced 20 NWS alerts between 2:05 PM MST and 9:39 PM MST on August 3, 2026. Eight alerts included dual-polarization radar detections of hail. Twelve alerts were NWS warning only. Radar-detected hail reports in the alert set included measured sizes of 0.93", 1.22", 1.72", 1.5", and larger values culminating in a 3.59" maximum. Two warning-only alerts in the late evening contained zero-inch hail indications in the advisory text.

Activity began in the mid-afternoon and persisted into the early evening. Initial radar-detected hail appeared around 2:05 PM MST. Intermittent NWS warning-only updates followed through late afternoon. A cluster of radar-detected returns with stone sizes above 1.5 inches occurred in the early evening. The final radar-detected hail alert in the dataset occurred at 9:39 PM MST. The event status is concluded.

Damage Assessment

The alert set contains no spotter-verified ground reports. Radar-detected hail sizes across Patagonia ranged from under 1 inch to 3.59 inches. Stones near 1 inch commonly produce cosmetic vehicle dents and surface scuffs on metal and plastic. Stones at or above 1.5 inches increase the likelihood of shingle fracture and broken skylights. Stones approaching 3.5 inches can shear roofing material, puncture siding, and severely dent or crack vehicle glass.

Inspectors should prioritize locations with prolonged radar returns and repeated radar detections over the same coordinates. Public streets, municipal parking areas, and roadside farm equipment near the most persistent radar returns are high-probability targets for visible damage. Document roof and vehicle conditions with time-stamped photos. Note that NWS warning-only alerts indicate elevated risk but do not by themselves verify hail on the ground.

What Contractors Should Know

First on-site actions should be safety and documentation. Photograph roof surfaces, gutters, siding, and vehicles before any repair work. Use a systematic roof-walk protocol when safe to do so. Focus initial inspections on asphalt shingles, metal roofing seams, solar arrays, skylights, and exposed HVAC units. For claims where radar-detected hail exceeded 1.5 inches, measure and record shingle fracture patterns and perforations in metal panels.

Prepare scopes that separate cosmetic dents from structural impairment. For vehicle claims, note paint fractures and windshield star breaks with close-up imagery. Provide clients with visible-condition reports and an itemized cost estimate tied to observed hail sizes. Coordinate with insurers using the event timeline: 2:05 PM MST to 9:39 PM MST, August 3, 2026. For precise hail track and pixel-level strike mapping, refer to the Strike Map for this event.