Hail in Oklahoma, April 26, 2026

Name: Hail in Oklahoma, April 26, 2026
Start: 2026-04-26T16:53
End: 2026-04-26T17:42
Location: Oklahoma

April 26, 2026 · NWS OUN · 9 events in 3 counties and zones

, neutral-to-rising mid-level heights) and remnant convective inhibition limited the overall number/coverage of thunderstorms during the evening. The most significant storm was a slow-moving supercell storm near and north of Wichita Falls, Texas.

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: 9

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 OUN wrote it up.

Despite a rather volatile airmass for severe weather across Oklahoma and north Texas on the 26th, misaligned synoptic features (i.e., neutral-to-rising mid-level heights) and remnant convective inhibition limited the overall number/coverage of thunderstorms during the evening. The most significant storm was a slow-moving supercell storm near and north of Wichita Falls, Texas. This thunderstorm produced large to very large hail and yielded a pair of left-moving supercells that went on to produce hail into portions of adjacent southern Oklahoma. This included confirmations of baseball-size hail in areas east of Lawton, Oklahoma.

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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 26, 4:17 PM CST, 36 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
Conditional risk for severe storms this afternoon and evening. If storms occur, all severe hazards would be possible including very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a low tornado risk.
Drier air moves in Monday, with elevated to near critical fire weather expected across western/northwestern OK.
Low storm chances across southeast OK Tuesday, better chances for showers and storms over the entire area Thursday into Friday.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 4:17 PM CST, 36 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
517 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

- Conditional risk for severe storms this afternoon and evening.
  If storms occur, all severe hazards would be possible including
  very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a low tornado risk.

- Drier air moves in Monday, with elevated to near critical fire
  weather expected across western/northwestern OK.

- Low storm chances across southeast OK Tuesday, better chances
  for showers and storms over the entire area Thursday into
  Friday.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Today and tonight)
Issued at 1135 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

A conditional severe risk with a complex set of meteorological
features is in place for today.

Warm air advection has been ongoing and has already produced a few
weak storms in north central Oklahoma this morning. Most of this
isolated to scattered activity is expected to remain weak, though a
strong storm or two can't be ruled out as we get into the afternoon
hours.

Later this afternoon and evening, we'll see the potential for
convection to focus in two main areas: along a dryline roughly near
and west of highway 81 (mainly southern Oklahoma and north Texas),
and in the warm front zone across northern Oklahoma.

Dryline convection will be more dependent on daytime heating with
upper support being quite distant. CAMs are inconsistent on whether
there's enough forcing to get storms to form, but any storms that do
form will have a risk for large to very large hail and tornadoes.

The warm front may be a later show as the upper wave approaches.
CAMs depict storms starting in northwest Oklahoma and moving
eastward across the state. Again, there is some uncertainty in
getting storms to form, but the chances are higher in this region.
Similarly, large to very large hail and tornadoes are both potential
hazards.

The tornado risk may be most acute when the low level jet starts to
ramp up this evening. This jet will also help storms persist into
the overnight period.

Day

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Monday through Tuesday night)
Issued at 1135 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Southwesterly / westerly low level flow will bring in much drier air
on Monday, setting us up for elevated to near-critical fire weather
across western portions of the forecast area. The low level thermal
ridge is expected to set up across southwest Oklahoma into central
Oklahoma, putting it out of sync with the highest ERCs in northwest
Oklahoma. There will likely be some overlap to watch, but most areas
outside of northwest Oklahoma have seen enough green-up to mitigate
fire danger. Winds will be breezy (especially along the thermal
ridge) and highs will be in the 80s and 90s.

A weak cold front will enter northern Oklahoma Monday night, then
stall roughly halfway across the forecast area on Tuesday (though
there is still some uncertainty in this frontal position). This will
provide a focus for showers and storms along and south of the front
in south central Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon and evening. The front
will also set us up with a temperature gradient ranging from highs
in the lower 70s in northern Oklahoma to the low 90s in north Texas.

Day

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday through Saturday)
Issued at 200 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Dry/cooler conditions are forecast across the area on Wednesday as
low amplitude ridging will be in place over the southern Plains
ahead of another shortwave across the southwest US. Shower and
thunderstorm chances will then increase Thursday and especially
Friday as the wave draws moisture northward over the residual
frontal zone. Extensive warm air advection and isentropic ascent
is forecast could lead to heavy rainfall across portions of the
area (currently most favored across southern OK and western north
TX). The severe risk appears more uncertain and will depend on
whether or not sufficient instability can return northward.

Highs during this period will be below normal, mainly in the 60s to
low 70s through the weekend.

Ware

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Showers and a few thunderstorms may impact portions of the area
this afternoon and evening, primarily across western north Texas
and southwestern Oklahoma, and northern Oklahoma. There is a
little uncertainty into impacting TAF sites, but it may be close.
LLWS will affect most TAF sites late tonight into early Monday
morning.

 &&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  69  88  55  80 /  20   0   0  20
Hobart OK         63  90  52  86 /  20   0   0  10
Wichita Falls TX  70  93  62  91 /  10   0   0  20
Gage OK           53  82  44  76 /  20   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     65  84  48  71 /  40   0   0  10
Durant OK         71  90  68  83 /  20  10  10  60

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

NEAR TERM...14
SHORT TERM...14
LONG TERM....08
AVIATION...14

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:22 PM CST, 31 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
522 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0511 PM     Hail             1 WNW Iowa Park         33.96N 98.68W
04/26/2026  M1.50 Inch       Wichita            TX   Storm Chaser

&&

Mahale

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:23 PM CST, 30 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
523 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0508 PM     Hail             2 NNW Iowa Park         33.98N 98.69W
04/26/2026  E1.00 Inch       Wichita            TX   Storm Chaser

&&

Mahale

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:24 PM CST, 29 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
524 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0511 PM     Hail             2 NNW Iowa Park         33.98N 98.69W
04/26/2026  E1.75 Inch       Wichita            TX   Storm Chaser

&&

Mahale

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:25 PM CST, 28 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
525 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0519 PM     Hail             2 NNW Iowa Park         33.98N 98.69W
04/26/2026  E3.00 Inch       Wichita            TX   Storm Chaser

&&

Mahale

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:43 PM CST, 10 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
543 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0535 PM     Hail             3 N Pleasant Valley     33.98N 98.60W
04/26/2026  E1.00 Inch       Wichita            TX   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

&&

Local storm report, Apr 26, 4:48 PM CST, 5 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
548 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0546 PM     Hail             1 W Sheppard Afb        33.98N 98.53W
04/26/2026  E1.75 Inch       Wichita            TX   Amateur Radio

&&

Mahale

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:52 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cotton

When: April 26, 4:53 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 1.48 mi N of Walters Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Storm Chaser
Coordinates: 34.391, -98.410

Hail, Cotton

When: April 26, 5:02 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 0.82 mi SE of Devol
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.182, -98.580

The report was relayed through mPING.

Hail, Comanche

When: April 26, 5:13 PM CST to 5:15 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, Pumpkin Center
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.590, -98.210

Hail, Comanche

When: April 26, 5:14 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, 3.55 mi ESE of Lawton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.588, -98.334

The report was relayed through mPING.

Hail, Comanche

When: April 26, 5:16 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, 5.21 mi E of Lawton
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.623, -98.300

Multiple images were relayed, including one showing a ruler-measured hailstone.

Hail, Comanche

When: April 26, 5:17 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, 3.15 mi ENE of Pumpkin Center
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.609, -98.159

Maximum hail size increased from quarter to golf ball during the event time.

Hail, Comanche

When: April 26, 5:26 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, 5.54 mi NNE of Pumpkin Center
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.663, -98.170

The location is approximate.

Hail, Grady

When: April 26, 5:42 PM CST
Where: Grady County, 0.23 mi NE of Rush Springs
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.782, -97.957

The report was relayed through mPING. The event time was adjusted based on radar observations.

Hail, Cotton

When: April 26, 5:42 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 0.75 mi SE of Randlett
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.174, -98.449

The report was relayed through mPING.

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 Oklahoma in 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, April 2026

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1329628, 1329629, 1329633, 1329635, 1329636, 1329632, 1329638, 1329639, 1329646.