Rapid City, South Dakota Hail Report and Map: August 16, 2026
Was there hail in Rapid City, SD on August 16, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.25 inches inside the town limits of Rapid City on August 16, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 30% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 1.89 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 13 miles northwest of Rapid City, SD. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 4:25 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. MT on August 16, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | August 16, 2026 (Sunday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 1.89 inches; strongest part of the swath about 13 miles northwest of Rapid City, SD |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Rapid City | 1.25 inches |
| Share of Rapid City with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 30% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 4:25 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. MT on August 16, 2026 (Mountain time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Lawrence County (44 sq mi), Pennington County (35 sq mi) and Meade County (19 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 97 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 22 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on August 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | Pennington County | 1.25 inches | 30% |
| Blackhawk, SD | Meade County | 1.11 inches | 54% |
| Green Valley, SD | Pennington County | 0.98 inch | 19% |
| Colonial Pine Hills, SD | Pennington County | 0.78 inch | 1% |
What time did radar detect hail?
Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 4:25 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. MT on August 16, 2026. We used 5 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.