Crete, Nebraska Hail Report and Map: August 18, 2026
Was there hail in Crete, NE on August 18, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 2.04 inches inside the town limits of Crete on August 18, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 100% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 3.12 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 43 miles north of Grand Island, NE. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 11:05 p.m. CT on August 17, 2026 and 4:35 a.m. CT on August 18, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | August 18, 2026 (Tuesday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 3.12 inches; strongest part of the swath about 43 miles north of Grand Island, NE |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Crete | 2.04 inches |
| Share of Crete with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 100% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 11:05 p.m. CT on August 17, 2026 and 4:35 a.m. CT on August 18, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Howard County (427 sq mi), Valley County (276 sq mi), Seward County (215 sq mi), Greeley County (204 sq mi), York County (158 sq mi) and Sherman County (148 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 2,268 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 325 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on August 18, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crete, NE | Saline County | 2.04 inches | 100% |
| Beaver Crossing, NE | 2 inches | 100% | |
| Dorchester, NE | Saline County | 1.37 inches | 79% |
| Cedar Rapids, NE | 1.27 inches | 100% | |
| North Loup, NE | 1.16 inches | 100% | |
| Spalding, NE | 1.16 inches | 100% | |
| Comstock, NE | 1.09 inches | 100% | |
| St. Paul, NE | 1.03 inches | 100% | |
| Elba, NE | 0.97 inch | 100% | |
| Kramer, NE | 0.95 inch | 100% | |
| Scotia, NE | 0.95 inch | 100% | |
| Ord, NE | Valley County | 0.94 inch | 100% |
| Grand Island, NE | Hall County | 0.9 inch | 32% |
| Marquette, NE | 0.86 inch | 100% | |
| Waco, NE | 0.85 inch | 100% | |
| Belgrade, NE | 0.83 inch | 100% | |
| Cotesfield, NE | 0.82 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Crete?
Radar estimated hail up to 2.04 inches inside the town limits of Crete. The maximum estimates in Grand Island, Ord and Dorchester were 1.37 inches 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 11:05 p.m. CT on August 17, 2026 and 4:35 a.m. CT on August 18, 2026. We used 238 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.
This report shares at least one town with the report for August 19, 2026. Storm dates run from midnight to midnight Eastern time, so a late-evening storm farther west can appear under two dates. See the Lincoln, NE report for August 19, 2026.
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.