Hail in South Carolina, January 26, 2021

Name: Hail in South Carolina, January 26, 2021
Start: 2021-01-26T15:02
End: 2021-01-26T15:17
Location: South Carolina

January 26, 2021 · NWS CHS · 4 events in 1 county or zone

Scattered thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours ahead of a slow moving cold front. A couple of the storms became strong enough to produce hail in Charleston County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours ahead of a slow moving cold front. A couple of the storms became strong enough to produce hail in Charleston County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 26, 1:34 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 1:34 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 26, 3:13 AM EST, 11 hours 49 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 2:22 PM EST, 40 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jan 26, 2:46 PM EST, 16 minutes before

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The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Charleston

When: January 26, 3:02 PM EST to 3:05 PM EST
Where: Charleston County, 0.9 mi SW of James Is
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 32.720, -79.940

Penny to nickel sized hail was reported along Fort Johnson Road.

Hail, Charleston

When: January 26, 3:05 PM EST to 3:08 PM EST
Where: Charleston County, 1.35 mi WSW of Centerville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.720, -79.970

Two reports of nickel sized hail in the vicinity of Walmart on Folly Road were passed along by local media.

Hail, Charleston

When: January 26, 3:08 PM EST to 3:11 PM EST
Where: Charleston County, 0.58 mi W of Centerville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 32.730, -79.960

Nickel sized hail was reported on James Island.

Hail, Charleston

When: January 26, 3:14 PM EST to 3:17 PM EST
Where: Charleston County, 0.58 mi W of Centerville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 32.730, -79.960

Penny sized hail reported on James Island.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, January 2021

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 936512, 936513, 936514, 936515.