Gillette, WY Hail Storm – August 2026

A severe hailstorm passed through Gillette, Wyoming on August 12, 2026, producing 3.8-inch stones and a multi-hour hail track from midday into late evening. The event combined repeated radar detections with multiple spotter-verified reports along key corridors.

What Happened

The storm produced 25 NWS alerts between 12:25 PM–10:38 PM MDT. Early alerts around midday showed smaller radar-detected hail. Activity escalated in the late afternoon, with a cluster of larger radar-derived detections between roughly 2:25 PM and 5:10 PM MDT. Several dual-polarization radar scans during that window registered significant hail signatures in and around the Gillette metro.

Spotter-verified measurements anchor the surface timeline. Around 3:55 PM MDT, trained spotters measured 3.5-inch hail at the intersection of US‑18 and Highway 89. At about 4:20 PM MDT, video submitted to observers documented at least 2-inch hail along Highway 18. Near 5:10 PM MDT, a report from US‑385 noted hail that covered the ground for roughly 15 minutes and wind gusts estimated at 60 to 70 MPH. Additional spotter reports between late afternoon and early evening logged stones near 1 inch and smaller, matching later, weaker radar returns.

NWS warnings accompanied portions of the track where radar signals were less distinct. Those warnings provided the broader warning area while radar-derived detections and spotter reports localized the most intense impacts. The sequence shows a long-lived hail-producing storm with a concentrated late-afternoon surge across Gillette corridors.

Damage Assessment

Field reports indicate the most severe surface impacts clustered near US‑18 and Highway 89 and along Highway 18. Spotters at the US‑18/Highway 89 intersection measured large stones and described heavy ground accumulation. Video evidence along Highway 18 documented palm-to-fist sized stones striking vehicles and collecting on pavement.

On US‑385, observers reported hail covering lawns and pavement for about 15 minutes at roughly 5:10 PM MDT, accompanied by wind estimates of 60–70 MPH. That combination of prolonged coverage and strong winds increases the likelihood of visible vehicle panel dents, broken exterior trim, and concentrated impact patterns on south- and west-facing surfaces in the immediate corridor.

Later evening spotter returns and radar echoes dropped to sub-inch sizes, with reports of scattered dime- to quarter-sized hail across outlying neighborhoods. Survey teams should expect the highest density of measurable damage in the US‑18/Highway 89 area and the Highway 18 corridor, with decreasing intensity outward from those locations.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections along US‑18 and Highway 89 first. Start with photographic documentation that includes a measurable scale and location reference. Inspect vehicle fleets that were parked along Highway 18 and at facilities near the US‑18 intersection for panel dents, cracked mirrors, and windshield chips. Note that a spotter report placed heavy coverage on US‑385 with wind estimates of 60–70 MPH; check for wind-driven debris damage to siding, roof edge flashings, and rooftop equipment in that area.