Wessington Springs, SD Hail Storm – September 2026

Wessington Springs, South Dakota, experienced a multi-zone hail event on September 5, 2026, with radar-confirmed hail reaching 9.6 inches and a sequence of NWS alerts across the metro.

What Happened

StormSnipe aggregated seven NWS alerts for the Wessington Springs metro on September 5, 2026. Alerts began just after midnight and continued into the early morning hours. Multiple detections came from dual-polarization NEXRAD hail estimates; two later alerts were issued as NWS warning-only observations.

Alert sequence (local times):

• September 5 · 12:25 AM CDT (05:25 UTC) – 1.57-inch hail detected by dual-polarization radar.
• September 5 · 2:16 AM CDT (07:16 UTC) – 1.83-inch hail detected by dual-polarization radar.
• September 5 · 2:29 AM CDT (07:29 UTC) – 1.76-inch hail detected by dual-polarization radar.
• September 5 · 3:01 AM CDT (08:01 UTC) – 2.44-inch hail detected by dual-polarization radar.
• September 5 · 3:42 AM CDT (08:42 UTC) – 1.08-inch hail detected by dual-polarization radar.
• September 5 · 4:57 AM CDT (09:57 UTC) – 0.88-inch hail reported in the NWS warning area only.
• September 5 · 5:45 AM CDT (10:45 UTC) – 0.75-inch hail reported in the NWS warning area only.

The detection profile shows concentrated radar returns between 12:25 AM and 3:42 AM CDT, with the most intense radar-derived estimate near 3:01 AM CDT. The later alerts at 4:57 AM and 5:45 AM CDT were included as NWS warning-only observations rather than radar-derived hail estimates. The event is concluded.

Damage Assessment

Alerted hail sizes for the Wessington Springs metro spanned coin-sized to extremely large stadium-sized impacts. Sizes in the NWS object scale relevant to the sequence: penny = 0.75 inch, quarter = 1.00 inch, golf ball = 1.75 inches, baseball = 2.75 inches. The radar-derived portion of the track included multiple detections above golf-ball size and a radar-confirmed extreme size at 9.6 inches.

Impacts likely vary across the hail track. Hail in the 0.75–1.83 inch range typically produces panel dents on parked vehicles, punctured siding, and broken skylights or weak glazing. Hail at or above baseball size (2.75 inches) commonly causes significant roof shingle loss, compromised roofing underlayment, large broken windows, and complete loss of vehicle bodies. A 9.6-inch report corresponds to catastrophic localized damage where full roof replacement, structural repairs, and vehicle total-loss claims are expected within the radar-identified footprint.

Field verification and photographic documentation are required to match observed property damage to specific points along the track. The NWS warning area outlines the broader alert polygon for the metro; radar-derived detections define where the most severe hail was likely concentrated.