West Des Moines, Iowa Hail Report and Map: October 8, 2026
Was there hail in West Des Moines, IA on October 8, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 0.92 inch inside the town limits of West Des Moines on October 8, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 16% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 1.93 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 14 miles southwest of Des Moines, IA. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 9:20 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. CT on October 8, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | October 8, 2026 (Thursday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 1.93 inches; strongest part of the swath about 14 miles southwest of Des Moines, IA |
| Maximum radar estimate inside West Des Moines | 0.92 inch |
| Share of West Des Moines with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 16% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 9:20 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. CT on October 8, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Dallas County (83 sq mi), Warren County (40 sq mi), Guthrie County (39 sq mi) and Madison County (22 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 182 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 28 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on October 8, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumming, IA | 1.62 inches | 91% | |
| Redfield, IA | Dallas County | 1.26 inches | 100% |
| Lake Panorama, IA | Guthrie County | 1.19 inches | 65% |
| Norwalk, IA | Warren County | 1.05 inches | 24% |
| De Soto, IA | Dallas County | 0.96 inch | 69% |
| Waukee, IA | Dallas County | 0.94 inch | 7% |
| West Des Moines, IA | Polk County | 0.92 inch | 16% |
| Van Meter, IA | Dallas County | 0.83 inch | 70% |
| Linden, IA | 0.8 inch | 100% |
How big was the hail in West Des Moines?
Radar estimated hail up to 0.92 inch inside the town limits of West Des Moines. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 1.62 inches inside the limits of Cumming. The maximum estimates in Waukee, Norwalk and Van Meter 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.
Towns near the hail
The strongest part of the swath was within 15 miles of these towns. Distances and directions run from each town to that part of the swath.
- Des Moines, IA: strongest radar estimates about 14 miles southwest of town
- Urbandale, IA: strongest radar estimates about 12 miles southwest of town
- Johnston, IA: strongest radar estimates about 15 miles southwest of town
- Clive, IA: strongest radar estimates about 10 miles southwest of town
- Grimes, IA: strongest radar estimates about 14 miles south of town
What time did radar detect hail?
Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 9:20 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. CT on October 8, 2026. We used 47 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.