200 verified events in the storm library touched the Denver Metro between 1984 and 2026; 137 were hail. The largest stones in those storms reached 4.5 inches (softball) on July 13, 2011, 69 events brought hail of 2 inches or more, and the 2000s had the most hail events (56). 6 of these storms carry an insured-loss figure, led by May 8, 2017 at $2.3 billion (2017 dollars).
Storms with the largest hail
Each size is the storm's largest report anywhere it hit, which may be outside the Denver Metro.
| Date | Hail | Report locations | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2011 | 4.5 in. (softball) | Watkins, Buffalo Creek, Masonville, Drakes | Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA, now RMIA) |
| June 10, 2010 | 4.25 in. (grapefruit) | Deer Trail, Byers, Peoria, Aurora Cherry Creek | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |
| June 2, 2005 | 4 in. (grapefruit) | Bennett, Denver, Johnstown, Allens Park | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |
| May 26, 2019 | 3 in. (teacup) | Buckingham, Keenesburg, Hudson, Barr Lake | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |
| June 18, 2018 | 3 in. (teacup) | Englewood, Greenwood Village, Arapahoe Park, Aurora Cherry Creek | RMIIA |
| June 6, 2009 | 3 in. (teacup) | Aurora Cherry Creek, Walnut Hills, Sullivan, Wellington | RMIIA |
| Aug. 10, 2004 | 3 in. (teacup) | Castle Rock, Hudson, Eaton, Brighton | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |
| July 10, 2002 | 3 in. (teacup) | Parker, Centennial Airport (APA), Deckers, Sedalia | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |
County by county
| County | Events | Hail events | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 58 | 45 | 4.5 in., July 13, 2011 |
| Adams | 86 | 69 | 4.5 in., July 13, 2011 |
| Arapahoe | 83 | 67 | 4.5 in., July 13, 2011 |
| Jefferson | 86 | 49 | 4.5 in., July 13, 2011 |
| Broomfield | 34 | 11 | 3 in., June 18, 2018 |
| Boulder | 80 | 39 | 4.5 in., July 13, 2011 |
| Douglas | 99 | 62 | 4.25 in., June 10, 2010 |
Hail events by decade
| Decade | Hail events | 2 in. or larger | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 3 in. |
| 1990s | 5 | 5 | 2.75 in. |
| 2000s | 56 | 21 | 4 in. |
| 2010s | 52 | 27 | 4.5 in. |
| 2020s | 23 | 15 | 2.75 in. |
One row per storm day or storm period in the library, not individual NOAA reports. The 2020s run only to 2026.
Costliest storms
- May 8, 2017: $2.3 billion (2017 dollars) insured, hail to 2.75 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
- July 20, 2009: $767.6 million (2009 dollars) insured, hail to 2 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
- July 11, 1990: $625 million (1990 dollars) insured, hail to 2.75 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
- June 6, 2009: $353.3 million (2009 dollars) insured, hail to 3 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
- June 6, 2012: $321.1 million (2012 dollars) insured, hail to 2.5 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
- June 13, 1984: $276.7 million (1984 dollars) insured, hail to 3 in. (Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms)
Insured losses cover every area each storm hit, in dollars of the loss year.
What the record means for roofs
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 167 hail reports in Denver County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 140 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Denver County, Colorado had 9 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 226 hail reports in Adams County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 189 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Adams County, Colorado had 25 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 286 hail reports in Arapahoe County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 244 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Arapahoe County, Colorado had 31 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 212 hail reports in Jefferson County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 175 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Jefferson County, Colorado had 14 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 24 hail reports in Broomfield County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 16 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Broomfield County, Colorado had 0 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 164 hail reports in Boulder County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 127 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Boulder County, Colorado had 11 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 234 hail reports in Douglas County, Colorado from 2010 through 2025, 185 of them 1 inch or larger. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Douglas County, Colorado had 7 hail reports of 2 inches or larger (hen-egg size or bigger) in NOAA's Storm Events Database from 2010 through 2025. (Storm Events Database, bulk CSV detail files (2010-2025), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI))
- Hail as small as 1 inch can damage lightweight three-tab asphalt shingles, and 1 1/4-inch hail can damage heavyweight laminated shingles, per an IIBEC engineering table. (Asphalt Composition Shingle Damage: Hail or Manufacturing Defect? (Smith, IIBEC Interface, Feb 2013), IIBEC (International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants))
- IBHS's FORTIFIED Home High Wind & Hail designation requires a roof covering able to withstand hail up to 2 inches in diameter. (New Research Leads Homeowners to Better Protection from Severe Weather (FORTIFIED Home High Wind & Hail), Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS))
Related pages
- Henderson roofing
- Aurora roofing
- Centennial roofing
- Littleton roofing
- Arvada roofing
- Evergreen roofing
- Golden roofing
- Lakewood roofing
- Morrison roofing
- Broomfield roofing
- Louisville roofing
- Douglas County roofing
- Highlands Ranch roofing
- Larkspur roofing
- Parker roofing
- Castle Rock roofing
- Franktown roofing
- El Paso County hail history
- Every Colorado event in one table
Sources: Catastrophe Facts & Statistics: Most Costly Catastrophes in the Rocky Mountain Region (Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA, now RMIA)); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episodes 53471, 55698 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episode 39997 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episode 1193389 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episode 135965 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); Hail Damage and Statistics: Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms (Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA, now RMIA)); 2018 Summer Hail Storms (NWS Pueblo); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episodes 125435, 125436, 128035 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); Colorado Storms Cost $350 Million in Insured Damage (Claims Journal, 2009-07-27); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episodes 27853, 27855, 27856, 28174, 28175, 28177, 28179, 28181 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episode 1179018 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, episode 1140626 (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information).
