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Hickory, North Carolina Hail Report and Map: July 28, 2026

Published by StormLens · Updated · Storm date (Eastern time)

Was there hail in Hickory, NC on July 28, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 0.74 inch within 3 miles of the center of Hickory, NC on July 28, 2026 (Eastern time). Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 1.83 inches within 3 miles of Bethlehem, NC. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 5:40 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. ET on July 28, 2026.

Radar-estimated hail swath near Hickory, NC on July 28, 2026; colors show estimated hail sizes

Download the free app to view this hail swath and search an address.

Hail estimates at a glance

Storm date (Eastern time)July 28, 2026 (Tuesday)
AreaHickory, NC and 13 nearby towns
Highest radar estimate near a listed town1.83 inches within 3 miles of Bethlehem, NC
Maximum radar estimate within 3 miles of Hickory0.74 inch
Approximate radar timingBetween about 5:40 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. ET on July 28, 2026 (Eastern time)
Counties includeCatawba County, Alexander County, Caldwell County and Burke County
Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or largerabout 83 square miles
Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or largerabout 20 square miles
SourceNOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH)

Where did hail fall near Hickory on July 28, 2026?

Radar estimated hail of at least 0.5 inch near 14 towns, including locations in Catawba County, Alexander County, Caldwell County and Burke County. The table lists the maximum within 3 miles of each town's center.

TownCountyMaximum radar estimate within 3 miles of town center
Bethlehem, NCAlexander County1.83 inches
Saint Stephens, NCCatawba County1.23 inches
Northlakes, NCCaldwell County1.04 inches
Conover, NCCatawba County0.78 inch
Hickory, NCCatawba County0.74 inch
Longview, NCCatawba County0.69 inch
Mountain View, NCCatawba County0.69 inch
Hildebran, NCBurke County0.69 inch
Newton, NCCatawba County0.65 inch
Icard, NCBurke County0.64 inch
Rhodhiss, NCCaldwell County0.64 inch
Connelly Springs, NCBurke County0.55 inch
Rutherford College, NCBurke County0.55 inch
Claremont, NCCatawba County0.53 inch

How big was the hail in Hickory?

Radar estimated hail up to 0.74 inch within 3 miles of the center of Hickory. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 1.83 inches within 3 miles of Bethlehem. The maximum estimates near Newton, Saint Stephens and Conover were 1.23 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 the hail hit Hickory?

Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 5:40 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. ET on July 28, 2026. We used 88 detections near the listed towns to estimate this window in Eastern time. 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 within 3 miles of its center. Nearby search areas can overlap. Each storm date covers one calendar day in Eastern time. 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.

Other hail reports for July 28, 2026