San Antonio Hail Season: What 70 Years of NOAA Storm Data Show

Most people who have lived in San Antonio for a few springs have a hail story. Maybe it was April 2016, when hail up to 4.5 inches fell across the northwest side, or the May 2021 storm that dropped record hail on the east side. But when exactly is San Antonio hail season, and how often does truly damaging hail fall? Instead of relying on memory, we went to the official record: the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database for Bexar County.

Here is what roughly 70 years of storm data show, what the data cannot tell you, and how to use it if you are dealing with a hail-damaged roof.

San Antonio hail season by month

The table below groups every Bexar County hail report in the NCEI database since 1957 by month. Each row counts individual reports, not storm days. One large storm can produce several reports as it crosses the county, so the numbers show when hail clusters rather than how many separate storms occurred.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, Bexar County, Texas (county and forecast zone entries), downloaded October 2026. Percentages are rounded.

The pattern is hard to miss. Hail risk starts to build in February, ramps up in March, peaks in April, and stays high through May. After June it drops off sharply. March is busier than June through December combined, and February storms show up regularly in the record.

In practical terms, if your roof is going to take a hit, the most likely window is roughly mid-March through the end of May. That is the stretch to have your policy, your deductible, and your baseline photos in order.

How big does hail get in Bexar County?

Of the 618 hail reports, 203 were 1.75 inches (golf ball size) or larger. That is about a third of all reports. Part of that reflects reporting habits, since big hail is more likely to be noticed and called in. Still, it shows that when hail does fall here, it is often large enough to matter for roofs, skylights, gutters, and vehicles.

The largest hail reports on record

Notice the December 2002 entry. Giant hail in winter is rare, but it is in the record, which is a good reminder that "off-season" does not mean "no risk."

April 12, 2016: the northwest San Antonio hailstorm

The April 12, 2016 storm is the one many San Antonio homeowners still talk about. NOAA's narrative describes an upper-level low over the Desert Southwest combining with a stationary front to produce thunderstorms across South Central Texas, some with "large to giant hail." The largest storm moved across northern Bexar County and the northern half of San Antonio.

The reports from that one day read like a map of the northwest side:

• 4.5-inch hail near Tezel Rd. and Bandera Rd., which NOAA noted "tied for the largest hailstone ever reported in Bexar County" at the time.
• 4-inch hail near Bandera Rd. and Loop 1604.
• 3.5-inch hail near Bandera Rd. and Huebner Rd. in Leon Valley.
• 3-inch hail in Olmos Park, and 4-inch and 3.5-inch reports in the Kirby area and near N. Foster Rd. and I-10 on the east side.

The storm is widely reported as one of the costliest hailstorms in Texas history. It also helps explain why 2016 stands out in the yearly totals below: NOAA lists 63 Bexar County hail reports that year, far more than any other recent year.

May 3, 2021: record hail on the east side

Five years later, the east side took its turn. On May 3, 2021, a thunderstorm produced 5.5-inch hail near Sayers and the China Grove area, the largest hail in the county's NOAA record. The same day brought a 4.5-inch report near I-410 and Paula Dr. in eastern San Antonio. Storms like this show that no part of the metro area is immune; hail tracks are narrow and can cross any neighborhood.

Other notable storms

• May 6, 2001. NOAA describes this as developing into "one of the most devastating hail-and-wind storms in the history of Bexar County," with hail up to 4 inches and winds estimated over 60 mph that destroyed roofs on hundreds of homes.
• April 13, 2019. 3-inch hail near Leon Springs and Grey Forest on the far northwest side.
• May 26, 2025. 3-inch hail in Helotes.

Hail reports by year since 2013

Year-to-year swings are large. A quiet year can be followed by a very active one, and the last several years have been consistently busy. The takeaway for property owners is simple: one quiet spring does not mean the next will be.

What size hail damages a San Antonio roof?

There is no single hail size that always damages a roof. Whether a storm causes functional damage depends on several factors working together:

• Roofing material. Composition shingles are the most common roof covering on San Antonio homes. Standing-seam metal is common toward the Hill Country edge, and many commercial buildings have flat or low-slope membrane roofs. Each responds to hail differently. Metal may dent without leaking, which can raise cosmetic-damage questions under some policies.
• Age and condition. Shingles that have spent years under the South Texas sun often lose flexibility and granules, which can make them more vulnerable to bruising and fractures.
• Wind. Spring storms here often bring strong straight-line winds with the hail. Wind-driven stones strike at an angle and tend to concentrate damage on the slopes facing the storm.
• Stone density. Hard, dense hail can do more damage than softer stones of the same diameter.

Larger hail is generally more likely to cause damage, and golf ball size or larger usually gets the attention of roofers and adjusters. But a slope-by-slope inspection is the only reliable way to know. Our article on hail damage roof insurance claims explains what inspectors look for.

Why the data has limits

The NOAA database is the best long-term public record of hail in Bexar County, but it is not a count of every hailstorm. Keep these points in mind:

• Reports depend on people. Hail is recorded when someone sees it, measures or estimates it, and reports it to the National Weather Service. Overnight storms and less-populated areas produce fewer reports.
• Older records are thinner. Radar, spotter networks, and social media reporting have expanded over the decades. Fewer reports in the 1960s does not mean less hail fell.
• Reports are not storms. The April 12, 2016 storm alone generated many reports. Monthly counts show when hail clusters, not exact storm frequency.
• Size is often estimated. Many reports compare stones to everyday objects rather than measuring them.

Even so, the seasonal pattern is consistent, and it lines up with what San Antonio roofers and adjusters see every spring.

What the data means for your insurance claim

Hail data is not just trivia. It can shape how a claim is handled, especially when storms stack up in a single season.

Multiple storms, one roof

Because hail clusters so tightly in March, April, and May, the same neighborhood can be hit more than once in a single spring, or several times over a few years. When that happens, an insurer may ask which storm caused which damage, or suggest that damage came from a storm before your policy started. Dated photos, repair invoices, and prompt reporting help answer that question.

Your deductible matters more in a busy year

Many Texas policies carry a separate wind/hail deductible, often a percentage of the dwelling (Coverage A) limit. Bexar County is not in the TWIA area, so San Antonio homes typically get wind and hail coverage from their regular insurer. If two separate storms damage your property, two deductibles may apply depending on the policy. Check your declarations page before spring.

Roof settlement terms

Some Texas policies settle roofs at actual cash value or under a roof payment schedule based on age. In a city with San Antonio's hail record, those terms can change your outcome more than almost anything else. Our guide to replacement cost vs. actual cash value walks through the math.

What to do after a hailstorm in San Antonio

1. Stay safe. Do not climb onto a wet or damaged roof. Start from the ground and from windows.
2. Photograph hailstones next to a ruler or coin, and note the time.
3. Check soft metals and exterior items: gutters, downspouts, roof vents, AC fins, window screens, fences, and vehicles.
4. Look inside for new ceiling stains, especially after the next rain.
5. Prevent further damage with tarps or temporary repairs, and keep receipts.
6. Save the storm record using our storm lookup or the full Bexar County storm history.
7. Report the claim promptly and keep a log of every call and email.

For a step-by-step guide, see how to document hail damage for an insurance claim and our claim documentation checklist.

How a public adjuster can help during hail season

After a major spring storm, insurers often handle a surge of claims at once, and inspections can be quick. A licensed Texas public adjuster represents the policyholder, not the insurer. San Antonio Public Adjuster, a service of Rise Public Adjusting LLC, helps homeowners and business owners with San Antonio hail damage claims by documenting damage, tying it to the storm record, preparing a detailed estimate, and presenting the claim. Fees are disclosed in a written contract before any work begins; Texas law caps public adjuster compensation at 10% of the insurance settlement. Results always depend on the policy and the facts of the loss.

This article is general information about property insurance claims in Texas, not legal advice, and not a promise of any coverage or outcome. Your policy language and the facts of your loss control your claim.