Sioux Falls, South Dakota Hail Report and Map: May 17, 2026
Was there hail in Sioux Falls, SD on May 17, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.79 inches inside the town limits of Sioux Falls on May 17, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 81% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 3.61 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 149 miles south of Sioux Falls, SD. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 1:35 p.m. and 9:05 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 | 3.61 inches; strongest part of the swath about 149 miles south of Sioux Falls, SD |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Sioux Falls | 1.79 inches |
| Share of Sioux Falls with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 81% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 1:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. CT on May 17, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Platte County (589 sq mi), Nobles County (527 sq mi), Turner County (481 sq mi), Bon Homme County (449 sq mi), Charles Mix County (445 sq mi) and Nance County (445 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 13,168 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 4,163 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland, SD | Bon Homme County | 2.36 inches | 100% |
| Menno, SD | Hutchinson County | 2.21 inches | 100% |
| Luverne, MN | Rock County | 2.11 inches | 100% |
| Sioux Falls, SD | Minnehaha County | 1.79 inches | 81% |
| Valley Springs, SD | Minnehaha County | 1.78 inches | 100% |
| Fullerton, NE | Nance County | 1.69 inches | 100% |
| South Sioux City, NE | Dakota County | 1.64 inches | 100% |
| Sioux City, IA | Woodbury County | 1.59 inches | 93% |
| Avon, SD | Bon Homme County | 1.59 inches | 100% |
| Central City, NE | Merrick County | 1.54 inches | 100% |
| Lennox, SD | Lincoln County | 1.52 inches | 100% |
| Dakota Dunes, SD | Union County | 1.45 inches | 100% |
| Tyndall, SD | Bon Homme County | 1.45 inches | 100% |
| Winnebago, MN | Faribault County | 1.38 inches | 100% |
| Brandon, SD | Minnehaha County | 1.37 inches | 100% |
| Viborg, SD | Turner County | 1.37 inches | 100% |
| Parker, SD | Turner County | 1.36 inches | 100% |
| Genoa, NE | Nance County | 1.35 inches | 100% |
| Sanborn, IA | O'Brien County | 1.25 inches | 100% |
| Humphrey, NE | Platte County | 1.12 inches | 100% |
| Tea, SD | Lincoln County | 1.11 inches | 100% |
| Okoboji, IA | Dickinson County | 1.06 inches | 100% |
| Ruthven, IA | Palo Alto County | 1.06 inches | 100% |
| Heron Lake, MN | Jackson County | 1.06 inches | 95% |
| Columbus, NE | Platte County | 1.01 inches | 93% |
| Wagner, SD | Charles Mix County | 1.01 inches | 100% |
| North Sioux City, SD | Union County | 1 inch | 100% |
| Le Mars, IA | Plymouth County | 0.98 inch | 97% |
| Spirit Lake, IA | Dickinson County | 0.94 inch | 100% |
| Milford, IA | Dickinson County | 0.94 inch | 97% |
| Madison, NE | Madison County | 0.91 inch | 99% |
| Freeman, SD | Hutchinson County | 0.91 inch | 95% |
| Norfolk, NE | Madison County | 0.89 inch | 35% |
| Spencer, IA | Clay County | 0.89 inch | 68% |
| Harrisburg, SD | Lincoln County | 0.89 inch | 100% |
| Beresford, SD | Union County | 0.89 inch | 61% |
| Worthington, MN | Nobles County | 0.88 inch | 97% |
| Adrian, MN | Nobles County | 0.83 inch | 100% |
| Rock Valley, IA | Sioux County | 0.82 inch | 93% |
| Sergeant Bluff, IA | Woodbury County | 0.75 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in Sioux Falls?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.79 inches inside the town limits of Sioux Falls. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 2.36 inches inside the limits of Scotland. The maximum estimates in Sioux City, Norfolk and Columbus were 1.59 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 1:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. CT on May 17, 2026. We used 680 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.