Mason City, Iowa Hail Report and Map: July 20, 2026
Was there hail in Mason City, IA on July 20, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.47 inches inside the town limits of Mason City on July 20, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 100% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 1.87 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 27 miles southeast of Mason City, IA. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 2:35 p.m. and 3:45 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 | 1.87 inches; strongest part of the swath about 27 miles southeast of Mason City, IA |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Mason City | 1.47 inches |
| Share of Mason City with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 100% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 2:35 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CT on July 20, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Butler County (272 sq mi), Cerro Gordo County (176 sq mi), Floyd County (134 sq mi), Grundy County (102 sq mi), Franklin County (86 sq mi) and Tama County (6 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 767 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City, IA | Cerro Gordo County | 1.47 inches | 100% |
| Portland, IA | 1.46 inches | 100% | |
| Nora Springs, IA | Floyd County | 1.25 inches | 100% |
| Aredale, IA | 1.15 inches | 100% | |
| Bristow, IA | 1.06 inches | 100% | |
| Dumont, IA | Butler County | 1.03 inches | 100% |
| Dougherty, IA | 0.91 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Mason City?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.47 inches inside the town limits of Mason City. The maximum estimates in Dougherty were 0.91 inch 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 2:35 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CT on July 20, 2026. We used 40 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.