Athens, Alabama Hail Report and Map: February 26, 2026
Was there hail in Athens, AL on February 26, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.27 inches inside the town limits of Athens on February 26, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 45% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 1.63 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 48 miles east of Athens, AL. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 6:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. CT on February 26, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | February 26, 2026 (Thursday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 1.63 inches; strongest part of the swath about 48 miles east of Athens, AL |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Athens | 1.27 inches |
| Share of Athens with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 45% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 6:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. CT on February 26, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Franklin County (78 sq mi), Limestone County (71 sq mi), Madison County (69 sq mi), Jackson County (13 sq mi), Marion County (11 sq mi) and Lawrence County (9 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 248 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 48 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on February 26, 2026?
Radar estimated hail of at least 0.5 inch inside these town limits, using U.S. Census boundaries. Each percentage is the share of town area with those estimates.
| Town | County | Maximum radar estimate inside town limits | Town area with estimates of at least 0.5 inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Market, AL | Madison County | 1.35 inches | 14% |
| Athens, AL | Limestone County | 1.27 inches | 45% |
| Hazel Green, AL | Madison County | 0.98 inch | 58% |
| Harvest, AL | Madison County | 0.89 inch | 73% |
| Sherwood, TN | 0.83 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Athens?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.27 inches inside the town limits of Athens. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 1.35 inches inside the limits of New Market. The maximum estimates in Sherwood were 0.83 inch or less. A town's maximum isn't an estimate for every home. Check the swath for estimates around an address.
What time did radar detect hail?
Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 6:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. CT on February 26, 2026. We used 69 NOAA radar hail detections in this area to estimate the window. We trim outlying detection times when enough are available, then round down to five-minute marks. It doesn't give an arrival time at an address.
Data source and limits
We use NOAA's MRMS radar product MESH (Maximum Estimated Size of Hail) for hail-size estimates. Each town's figure is the maximum inside its Census town limits. The percentage is the town area with estimates of at least 0.5 inch. A town's maximum isn't an estimate for every home. Each storm date covers one calendar day in Eastern time. A late-evening storm west of the Eastern time zone can appear under two dates. Radar estimates don't confirm hail on the ground or roof damage. Hail of 0.5 to 0.75 inch can damage roofs, especially older roofs. An estimate below 1 inch doesn't rule out damage. Read how we calculate sizes and times.