Des Moines, Iowa Hail Report and Map: July 20, 2026
Was there hail in Des Moines, IA on July 20, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.54 inches inside the town limits of Des Moines on July 20, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 88% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 2.47 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 14 miles southeast of Des Moines, IA. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 2:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. CT on July 20, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | July 20, 2026 (Monday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 2.47 inches; strongest part of the swath about 14 miles southeast of Des Moines, IA |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Des Moines | 1.54 inches |
| Share of Des Moines with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 88% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 2:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. CT on July 20, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Polk County (537 sq mi), Wright County (460 sq mi), Story County (441 sq mi), Boone County (434 sq mi), Dallas County (431 sq mi) and Hamilton County (416 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 5,518 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 1,897 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on July 20, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukee, IA | Dallas County | 2.1 inches | 100% |
| Webster City, IA | Hamilton County | 2.01 inches | 95% |
| Granger, IA | Dallas County | 1.94 inches | 100% |
| Story City, IA | Story County | 1.9 inches | 100% |
| Ankeny, IA | Polk County | 1.85 inches | 100% |
| Van Meter, IA | Dallas County | 1.84 inches | 100% |
| Boone, IA | Boone County | 1.79 inches | 100% |
| Roland, IA | Story County | 1.79 inches | 100% |
| Grimes, IA | Polk County | 1.76 inches | 100% |
| Madrid, IA | Boone County | 1.76 inches | 100% |
| Polk City, IA | Polk County | 1.65 inches | 100% |
| Centerville, IA | Boone County | 1.59 inches | 100% |
| Saylorville, IA | Polk County | 1.58 inches | 100% |
| Des Moines, IA | Polk County | 1.54 inches | 88% |
| Clive, IA | Polk County | 1.54 inches | 100% |
| West Des Moines, IA | Polk County | 1.52 inches | 100% |
| Urbandale, IA | Polk County | 1.51 inches | 100% |
| Johnston, IA | Polk County | 1.45 inches | 100% |
| Pleasantville, IA | Marion County | 1.45 inches | 100% |
| Mitchellville, IA | Polk County | 1.38 inches | 100% |
| Dallas Center, IA | Dallas County | 1.37 inches | 100% |
| Slater, IA | Story County | 1.28 inches | 100% |
| Adel, IA | Dallas County | 1.27 inches | 90% |
| Winterset, IA | Madison County | 1.26 inches | 100% |
| De Soto, IA | Dallas County | 1.25 inches | 100% |
| Clarion, IA | Wright County | 1.21 inches | 100% |
| Altoona, IA | Polk County | 1.17 inches | 100% |
| Perry, IA | Dallas County | 1.16 inches | 99% |
| Woodward, IA | Dallas County | 1.16 inches | 100% |
| Ames, IA | Story County | 1.15 inches | 94% |
| Knoxville, IA | Marion County | 1.1 inches | 92% |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | Polk County | 1.08 inches | 97% |
| Britt, IA | Hancock County | 1.08 inches | 100% |
| Indianola, IA | Warren County | 1.02 inches | 81% |
| Bondurant, IA | Polk County | 0.94 inch | 100% |
| Nevada, IA | Story County | 0.93 inch | 100% |
| Windsor Heights, IA | Polk County | 0.9 inch | 100% |
| Garner, IA | Hancock County | 0.86 inch | 98% |
| Norwalk, IA | Warren County | 0.85 inch | 100% |
| Huxley, IA | Story County | 0.84 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Des Moines?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.54 inches inside the town limits of Des Moines. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 2.1 inches inside the limits of Waukee. The maximum estimates in Ames, West Des Moines and Urbandale were 1.52 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 2:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. CT on July 20, 2026. We used 124 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.