Lincoln, Nebraska Hail Report and Map: May 17, 2026
Was there hail in Lincoln, NE on May 17, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.02 inches inside the town limits of Lincoln on May 17, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 47% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 3.33 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 212 miles southwest of Lincoln, NE. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 11:40 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026 and 10:40 p.m. CT on May 17, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | May 17, 2026 (Sunday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 3.33 inches; strongest part of the swath about 212 miles southwest of Lincoln, NE |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Lincoln | 1.02 inches |
| Share of Lincoln with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 47% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 11:40 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026 and 10:40 p.m. CT on May 17, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Washington County (615 sq mi), Lincoln County (606 sq mi), Thayer County (447 sq mi), Rush County (424 sq mi), Ottawa County (399 sq mi) and Russell County (340 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 7,376 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 1,945 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on May 17, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Center, KS | 3.33 inches | 100% | |
| Bison, KS | 2.46 inches | 100% | |
| Lincoln Center, KS | 1.8 inches | 100% | |
| Timken, KS | 1.71 inches | 100% | |
| Wilson, KS | Ellsworth County | 1.58 inches | 100% |
| Tescott, KS | 1.55 inches | 100% | |
| Beaver, KS | 1.54 inches | 100% | |
| Deshler, NE | Thayer County | 1.43 inches | 100% |
| Beverly, KS | 1.38 inches | 100% | |
| Burr Oak, KS | 1.28 inches | 100% | |
| Bunker Hill, KS | 1.28 inches | 100% | |
| Ada, KS | 1.22 inches | 100% | |
| Bruning, NE | 1.2 inches | 100% | |
| Morrowville, KS | 1.18 inches | 100% | |
| Hunter, KS | 1.14 inches | 100% | |
| Hanover, KS | Washington County | 1.12 inches | 100% |
| Sylvan Grove, KS | 1.11 inches | 100% | |
| La Crosse, KS | Rush County | 1.09 inches | 100% |
| Herkimer, KS | 1.07 inches | 100% | |
| Susank, KS | 1.06 inches | 100% | |
| Fairbury, NE | Jefferson County | 1.05 inches | 95% |
| Lincoln, NE | Lancaster County | 1.02 inches | 47% |
| Beloit, KS | Mitchell County | 1 inch | 92% |
| Superior, NE | Nuckolls County | 0.98 inch | 99% |
| Olmitz, KS | 0.96 inch | 100% | |
| Papillion, NE | Sarpy County | 0.95 inch | 57% |
| Minneapolis, KS | Ottawa County | 0.95 inch | 100% |
| Ruskin, NE | 0.95 inch | 100% | |
| Vermillion, KS | 0.94 inch | 100% | |
| Hebron, NE | Thayer County | 0.93 inch | 100% |
| Washington, KS | Washington County | 0.91 inch | 100% |
| Esbon, KS | 0.91 inch | 100% | |
| Byron, NE | 0.9 inch | 100% | |
| Buccaneer Bay, NE | 0.89 inch | 96% | |
| Louisville, NE | Cass County | 0.87 inch | 100% |
| Brock, NE | 0.84 inch | 100% | |
| Saronville, NE | 0.83 inch | 100% | |
| Bremen, KS | 0.81 inch | 100% | |
| Bennington, KS | Ottawa County | 0.8 inch | 100% |
| Delphos, KS | 0.76 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Lincoln?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.02 inches inside the town limits of Lincoln. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 3.33 inches inside the limits of Rush Center. The maximum estimates in Papillion, Beloit and Fairbury were 1.05 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 11:40 p.m. CT on May 16, 2026 and 10:40 p.m. CT on May 17, 2026. We used 1,771 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.