Des Moines, Iowa Hail Report and Map: September 8, 2026
Was there hail in Des Moines, IA on September 8, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.83 inches inside the town limits of Des Moines on September 8, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 78% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 3.75 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 8 miles north of Des Moines, IA. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 5:25 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. CT on September 8, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | September 8, 2026 (Tuesday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 3.75 inches; strongest part of the swath about 8 miles north of Des Moines, IA |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Des Moines | 1.83 inches |
| Share of Des Moines with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 78% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 5:25 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. CT on September 8, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Polk County (426 sq mi), Jasper County (253 sq mi), Dallas County (130 sq mi), Marion County (89 sq mi), Warren County (85 sq mi) and Poweshiek County (75 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 1,069 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 310 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on September 8, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankeny, IA | Polk County | 3.75 inches | 99% |
| Saylorville, IA | Polk County | 3.63 inches | 100% |
| Bondurant, IA | Polk County | 2.16 inches | 100% |
| Des Moines, IA | Polk County | 1.83 inches | 78% |
| Altoona, IA | Polk County | 1.83 inches | 82% |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | Polk County | 1.8 inches | 83% |
| Mitchellville, IA | Polk County | 1.63 inches | 100% |
| Johnston, IA | Polk County | 1.56 inches | 50% |
| Carlisle, IA | Warren County | 1.51 inches | 88% |
| Clive, IA | Polk County | 1.5 inches | 100% |
| Colfax, IA | Jasper County | 1.49 inches | 100% |
| West Des Moines, IA | Polk County | 1.44 inches | 38% |
| Windsor Heights, IA | Polk County | 1.2 inches | 100% |
| Monroe, IA | Jasper County | 1.17 inches | 100% |
| Urbandale, IA | Polk County | 1.16 inches | 70% |
| Pleasantville, IA | Marion County | 1.13 inches | 100% |
| Newton, IA | Jasper County | 1.09 inches | 68% |
| Woodward, IA | Dallas County | 1.09 inches | 76% |
| Granger, IA | Dallas County | 1.08 inches | 100% |
| Sandyville, IA | 1.06 inches | 100% | |
| Waukee, IA | Dallas County | 1.01 inches | 68% |
| Polk City, IA | Polk County | 1.01 inches | 100% |
| Valeria, IA | 1.01 inches | 100% | |
| Runnells, IA | Polk County | 0.97 inch | 100% |
| Barnes City, IA | 0.84 inch | 100% | |
| Elkhart, IA | Polk County | 0.83 inch | 84% |
How big was the hail in Des Moines?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.83 inches inside the town limits of Des Moines. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 3.75 inches inside the limits of Ankeny. The maximum estimates in West Des Moines, Urbandale and Johnston were 1.56 inches or less. A town's maximum isn't an estimate for every home. Check the swath for estimates around an address.
Towns near the hail
The strongest part of the swath was within 15 miles of these towns. Distances and directions run from each town to that part of the swath.
- Grimes, IA: strongest radar estimates about 10 miles east of town
What time did radar detect hail?
Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 5:25 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. CT on September 8, 2026. We used 66 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.