StormProof → guides → Hail size reference: coins, balls, and what the record calls them

Hail size reference: coins, balls, and what the record calls them

NWS reports describe hail by familiar objects. The ladder, in inches: pea 0.25, marble 0.50, dime/penny 0.75, nickel 0.88, quarter 1.00 (the severe criterion), half dollar 1.25, ping-pong/walnut 1.50, golf ball 1.75, hen egg 2.00, tennis ball 2.50, baseball 2.75, tea cup 3.00, grapefruit 4.00, softball 4.50.

Storm Events stores the numeric magnitude; narratives often carry the object name. When a report says "golf ball hail 2 miles from the property," that is a recorded 1.75-inch observation — citable, not a roofer's adjective.

What size is "quarter" hail and why is it the threshold?

A US quarter is 1.00 inch in diameter — the NWS severe-thunderstorm criterion since 2010. Reports at or above quarter size are what our ≥1-inch counts include.

What damage do the common sizes correlate with?

As industry practice (not physics): quarter (1") — possible shingle bruising, soft-metal dents; golf ball (1.75") — widespread shingle damage likely, window/skylight risk; baseball (2.75")+ — structural sheathing, siding and glass damage expected. Material, age and accompanying wind dominate at the margins.

Are recorded sizes exact?

They are good-faith comparisons by observers, quality-controlled by forecast offices. Treat 1.75" as "golf-ball class observed at that point," not a micrometer reading — and remember larger stones can fall unobserved between report points.

Sources and standing caveat

Official records referenced throughout: NCEI Storm Events Database (the official NWS storm record, 1950–present) and SPC daily storm reports (preliminary, same-day). NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. Nothing on this page is legal, insurance, or public-adjusting advice — deadlines, coverage and remedies are policy- and state-specific.

Put the record in the file

A per-address verification report compiles every NWS-recorded hail and wind event within 1, 3 and 10 miles of any US address — distances, official narratives, citations, provenance labels — formatted as an insurance-appeal attachment, hosted on HailEvidence (the neutral evidence surface).

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