The Ultimate Northern Texas Hail Guide
If you’re considering a move to Texas, this post may serve as your forewarning. It hails in Texas… a lot. If you’re a current Texas resident, you probably know this tale all too well already. It’s told by the ice meteorites making craters your house, vehicle and other property each spring. Hail puts a dent in both your plans and your pocketbook. But where is hail most common in Texas?
First, a look at Texas hail compared to other states:
Which State Has the Most Hail?
Between March and May, parts of Texas look like they’ve been chewed up, spit out and stepped on by hail big as Dallas. But how much of reported hail actually falls within Texas state lines?
According to NOAA’s National Weather Service 2018 Annual Severe Weather Report Summary, of the 4,610 hail events in 2018, 508 (11%) took place in Texas. In fact, according to the annual summaries, Texas reported more hail events than any other state for 9 of the past 10 years.
Percentage Of Major Hail Events That Took Place in Texas, 2009-2018
| Year | Total Events | Texas Events | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4,610 | 508 | 11.02 |
| 2017 | 6,045 | 747 | 12.36 |
| 2016 | 5,601 | 830 | 14.82 |
| 2015 | 5,411 | 783 | 14.47 |
| 2014* | 5,536 | 557 | 10.06 |
| 2013 | 5,457 | 651 | 11.93 |
| 2012 | 7,031 | 795 | 11.31 |
| 2011 | 9,415 | 741 | 7.87 |
| 2010 | 5,913 | 557 | 9.42 |
| 2009 | 10,223 | 1,186 | 11.6 |
*In 2014, Nebraska reported more hail events than Texas with 624.
Maybe Texas hail isn’t quite a groundbreaking climatic trend, but even if it’s partly due to population density, this table illustrates that more Texans experience hail damage than residents in other states.
Now… what about the different areas of Texas? Who gets the most hail? Where are hailstorms most commonly occurring?
Which Sides of Texas Receive the Most Hail?
Finding this answer is difficult as reported numbers can be misleading due to variances in population and property density. Even so, North Texas and West Texas experience hailstorms more commonly than other sides of the state.
On page 10 of this study, the American Meteorological Society uses a radar-based criteria instead of report-based criteria to show that North Texas and West Texas have more annual hail days (9-12 days) than other areas of Texas (0-6 days).
The Top 10 Texas Counties
Moreover, Allstate released which counties had the most wind and hail claims from 2007-2017. The top ten were Collin, Denton, Midland, El Paso, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas, Bell, Johnson, and Fort Bend. Eight of those ten counties are in North Texas and West Texas.
Verisk’s Hail: The Hidden Risk analysis released which Texas counties had the most properties damaged by only hail in 2017: Denton, Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant – four of five in North Texas.
Dallas vs. Fort Worth: Which Has More Hail?
We learned via Dallas News that if you’re comparing close cities within the same county or metroplex, there isn’t a big difference. One of their readers asked if certain areas of Dallas-Fort Worth are more prone to hail. Journalists from their Curious Texas project tracked down the answer from NBC5 meteorologist David Finfrock and National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Stalley:
“Basically, every resident of North Texas has a similar chance of seeing hail in any given year. It’s just the luck of the draw as to who actually gets hit.” – David Finfrock, NBC5 (Find Him on Facebook)
“Matt Stalley said he’s heard people swear that their neighborhood or suburb is more prone than others, but there’s no data to back that.” – Jesus Jimenez, Dallas News
In summary, if you choose to live in Texas, make sure you’re well-versed in hail preparedness, especially if you own a home or vehicle. Consider investing in a garage and new roof. Maybe a shield?