Grand Island, Nebraska Hail Report and Map: May 16, 2026
Was there hail in Grand Island, NE on May 16, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.81 inches inside the town limits of Grand Island on May 16, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 73% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 3.95 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 56 miles west of Grand Island, NE. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 4:35 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | May 16, 2026 (Saturday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 3.95 inches; strongest part of the swath about 56 miles west of Grand Island, NE |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Grand Island | 1.81 inches |
| Share of Grand Island with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 73% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 4:35 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Buffalo County (598 sq mi), Dawson County (558 sq mi), Lincoln County (408 sq mi), Custer County (283 sq mi), Hall County (234 sq mi) and Hamilton County (228 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 3,945 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 1,556 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on May 16, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst, NE | 2.84 inches | 100% | |
| Miller, NE | 2.53 inches | 100% | |
| Shelton, NE | Buffalo County | 2.21 inches | 100% |
| Lexington, NE | Dawson County | 1.95 inches | 100% |
| Grand Island, NE | Hall County | 1.81 inches | 73% |
| Cozad, NE | Dawson County | 1.69 inches | 100% |
| Gibbon, NE | Buffalo County | 1.56 inches | 100% |
| Rockville, NE | 1.52 inches | 100% | |
| Fairmont, NE | Fillmore County | 1.35 inches | 100% |
| Elsie, NE | 1.28 inches | 100% | |
| Sumner, NE | 1.17 inches | 100% | |
| Howard City (Boelus), NE | 1.14 inches | 100% | |
| Gothenburg, NE | Dawson County | 1.08 inches | 80% |
| Alda, NE | Hall County | 1.04 inches | 100% |
| Cairo, NE | Hall County | 1.03 inches | 100% |
| Lushton, NE | 1.02 inches | 100% | |
| Phillips, NE | 0.99 inch | 100% | |
| Willow Island, NE | 0.99 inch | 100% | |
| Eddyville, NE | 0.96 inch | 100% | |
| Madrid, NE | 0.94 inch | 85% | |
| McCool Junction, NE | 0.94 inch | 100% | |
| Riverdale, NE | 0.93 inch | 100% | |
| Curtis, NE | Frontier County | 0.9 inch | 100% |
| Henderson, NE | York County | 0.89 inch | 100% |
| Archer, NE | 0.87 inch | 86% | |
| North Loup, NE | 0.86 inch | 52% | |
| Berwyn, NE | 0.83 inch | 100% | |
| Sargent, NE | Custer County | 0.78 inch | 85% |
| Stromsburg, NE | Polk County | 0.77 inch | 100% |
| Aurora, NE | Hamilton County | 0.75 inch | 89% |
How big was the hail in Grand Island?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.81 inches inside the town limits of Grand Island. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 2.84 inches inside the limits of Amherst. The maximum estimates in Lexington, Aurora and Cozad were 1.95 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 4:35 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026. We used 516 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.