HailHistory › Hail by county › Iowa › Clayton County
Iowa · county FIPS 19043
Hail history for Clayton County, IA
Clayton County has 142 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 83 of them 1″ or larger and 3 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 2.5″ (tennis ball) on April 14, 2026.
Mark size = measured hail diameter; slivers are events with no recorded size. Amber ≥2″, red ≥2.75″ (baseball class). Denser recent decades partly reflect better reporting, not only more storms.
When it hails in Clayton County
Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Clayton County's peak: May.
Most recent recorded events
| Date | Size | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5″ | Tennis ball | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.5″ | Ping-pong ball | |
| 0.88″ | Nickel | |
| 1.25″ | Half dollar | |
| 0.88″ | Nickel | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter |
Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Clayton County.
From the storm reports
Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).
· 2.5″ (tennis ball)
The public reported tennis ball sized hail near Monona.
· 1.75″ (golf ball)
Golf ball sized hail was reported south of Osterdock.
Events by decade
| 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 60 | 36 | 15 |
The climb across decades is largely a reporting story: spotter networks, radar, and digital filing pulled far more storms into the record after the 1990s.
Questions about hail in Clayton County
Has it ever hailed in Clayton County?
Yes — 142 hail events have been recorded for Clayton County, IA in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1961, including 83 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.
When did it last hail in Clayton County?
The most recent recorded hail event for Clayton County, IA is April 14, 2026, with 2.5″ (tennis ball) hail. The database is currently updated through April 2026, so a storm from the last few weeks may not appear yet. To check a specific day, use the did-it-hail date lookup.
What is the largest hail ever recorded in Clayton County?
2.5″ (tennis ball), recorded on April 14, 2026. Hail that size meets or exceeds the National Weather Service severe threshold. See how big that really is on the actual-size hail chart.
Does a recorded hail event mean my roof was damaged?
No. This page reports storm records, not damage. Hail size and damage vary block by block within a county, and only an inspection can establish what happened to a specific roof. If you suspect damage, talk to your insurer or a licensed roofer — they can pull the same NOAA records for your claim.
More Iowa hail history
- Polk County 670
- Linn County 389
- Woodbury County 369
- Warren County 338
- Story County 325
- Plymouth County 277
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain, updated monthly by NCEI — this site's copy runs through April 2026. HailHistory reports records; it does not give insurance advice or assess damage.