The June 13, 2018 hailstorm is the rare Colorado Springs storm that hit in the middle of the night. Between about 12:30 and 2:20 a.m., NOAA logged 27 hail reports across El Paso County, with 3-inch (tea cup) stones in Fountain and just west of Peterson Air Force Base, 2.5-inch (tennis ball) hail in Security and 2-inch (hen egg) hail in Widefield. NCEI cites media reports putting the damage at $169 million, to vehicles, trees, roofs, siding, windows and skylights.
What happened on June 13, 2018
The National Weather Service in Pueblo called it “a rare nocturnal hail event.” Colorado hailstorms usually build in the heat of the afternoon and fade after sunset, but this one formed late on Tuesday night and pounded the south and east sides of the city after midnight. The first 1-inch reports came at about 12:30 a.m. near the Air Force Academy and in northeast Colorado Springs, then the core moved over Widefield, Security and Peterson Air Force Base. The largest stones fell around 1 a.m., and Fountain kept reporting 1.75 to 2.5 inch hail until about 2:20 a.m.
The Storm Prediction Center’s preliminary log adds detail from the people who reported it: “lots of tree damage” and “car windows broken out” east of Fountain, and a National Weather Service employee measuring 2.5-inch stones northeast of Fountain.
Where the hail fell
| Area | Largest hail on record | Size name |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain | 3.00 in. | Tea cup |
| West of Peterson AFB | 3.00 in. | Tea cup |
| Security | 2.50 in. | Tennis ball |
| Widefield | 2.00 in. | Hen egg |
| Colorado Springs airport area | 1.25 in. | Half dollar |
| Black Forest | 1.25 in. | Half dollar |
| Northeast Colorado Springs and near the Air Force Academy | 1.00 in. | Quarter |
If you live in Fountain, Security-Widefield or Stratmoor, you were in the core of this storm, and again in the core of the August 6, 2018 storm two months later.
What 3-inch hail does to a roof
Tea cup hail is past the size most roofing products are tested for. The UL 2218 test used to rate Class 4 impact-resistant shingles drops a 2-inch steel ball; stones of 2.5 to 3 inches can fracture even impact-rated shingles and crack concrete and clay tile. On standard architectural shingles, hail this size typically leaves fractures you can see from a ladder, exposed fiberglass mat and, in the worst spots, punctures through to the deck. Skylights, which NCEI lists among the damage, are often the first thing to leak.
Soft metal tells the story too. Box vents, turbine vents and gutters in the core of this storm would have been dented deeply enough to see from the street.
How to check a roof for this storm
- Find out when your roof was last replaced. A roof installed after June 2018 did not see this storm.
- If it is older, look for patched or mismatched shingles. If the roof had hail repairs after 2018, a partial repair can leave hit shingles in place.
- Check skylights and their flashing for cracked domes or stains on the ceiling below.
- Book a close inspection and ask for photos of every hit, so you can tell which damage predates which storm.
Claim timing for a Colorado storm
Colorado sets no single deadline to report roof damage; your policy does, often as prompt notice. A Colorado homeowner's policy cannot give you less time to sue than the statute of limitations (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8(12)), and the Division of Insurance advises calling your insurer or agent soon after a hailstorm. Replacement cost policies usually hold back depreciation until the work is done: see finishing repairs to recover depreciation and how long you have to file a hail claim.
This storm is now 8 years old, and hail marks weather. An inspection shows whether marks look fresh or aged, which an adjuster weighs when tying damage to a date. General information, not legal advice; the claim is always yours, and our part is the inspection, dated photos and written scope.
Colorado Springs, CO inspection and hail help
If you live in Colorado Springs and El Paso County, start with our Colorado Springs hail damage repair page, book a free Colorado Springs roof inspection, or read Colorado hail season guide. Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews, and we respond the same business day. Call (719) 488-2800.
Other recorded storms in Colorado Springs and El Paso County
- August 5, 2023 Hailstorm: hail to 4 in.
- August 5, 2020 Hailstorm: hail to 2 in.
- August 6, 2018 Hailstorm: hail to 4 in.
- July 28, 2016 Colorado Springs hailstorm (full write-up)
- June 6, 2012 hailstorm, Colorado Springs and south Denver (full write-up)
- July 4, 2010 Hailstorm: hail to 2 in.
- Full storm archive: Colorado Springs, Denver and Austin
Sources: NOAA SPC storm reports, June 12 to 13, 2018 (convective day 180612); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, event 767892 (Fountain, 3.00 in.); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, event 767878 (west of Peterson AFB, 3.00 in.); NWS Pueblo, June 13, 2018 El Paso County hail; NWS hail size reference; C.R.S. 10-4-110.8 (unofficial reproduction); Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory (May 22, 2024).
