Albion, NE Hail Storm – August 2026

A hail-producing storm tracked through Albion, NE on August 8, 2026, producing 1.73-inch stones and prompting multiple NWS warnings through the afternoon.

What Happened

The storm complex moved northeast across Albion on Aug 8, with NWS warnings issued at six separate times between 11:18 AM CDT and 5:27 PM CDT. Early advisories at 11:18 AM and 11:30 AM warned of 0.75-inch hail. A mid-day warning at 12:34 PM listed 1.00-inch hail. Additional warnings followed at 1:23 PM and 1:49 PM for 0.75-inch hail, and a late-afternoon warning at 5:27 PM again cited 1.00-inch hail. Each alert was generated as an NWS warning only product based on real-time radar indications.

Dual-polarization radar tracks showed a persistent core of strong reflectivity moving northeast across the Albion metro. Two independent mPING reports, both time-stamped 12:25 PM CDT, recorded quarter-sized stones at locations within the Albion area. Those spotter-verified observations coincide with the radar signature that produced the mid-day NWS advisory. Radar-derived hail detections continued intermittently into the early evening before the system weakened and the event concluded.

Damage Assessment

Surface impact reports for this storm consist of two spotter-submitted mPING observations of 1.00-inch hail at 12:25 PM CDT within the Albion reporting area. Those reports are the only ground-truth entries in the public record for this event. Local emergency management and the NWS LSR stream did not include additional storm survey entries for structural collapse or widespread catastrophic damage tied to this event.

Field reports and radar coverage indicate the most concentrated surface hail occurred near central Albion around midday. Surveyable impacts reported by nearby observers were limited to cosmetic damage on exposed vehicles and stripped foliage on some trees along the storm track. No spotter or LSR entry documented roof failures or large-scale structural damage for Albion addresses in the record available for this event.

Post-storm imagery and public submissions show scattered vehicle dents and isolated siding scuffs on north- and west-facing exposures where hail accumulation occurred briefly. Reports from municipal crews noted accumulated hail meltwater in low-lying gutters and streets; crews reported clearing debris in the hours after the storm. Damage observations are tied to the Albion locality and the two 12:25 PM CDT spotter reports recorded for this event.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect north- and west-facing roof slopes first. Field reports place the strongest surface impact near central Albion at 12:25 PM CDT, with concentrated strikes along the radar-derived core that passed through the metro. Check shingles for bruising and granule loss in overlapping patterns consistent with small but dense hail. Photographs with timestamps and GPS coordinates will help link observed damage to the midday impact window.