How often does hail hit the Knoxville area?

Knox County has the most hail reports of the five counties (93 since 2006), followed by Blount (55) and Sevier (54). 2025 was an unusually busy year, with 44 reports, including 13 on April 10 and 12 on September 4.

How much hail has been reported?

Short answer: 270 hail reports in Knox, Blount, Sevier, Anderson and Loudon counties from 2006 through 2025, according to NOAA's Storm Events Database. 217 were at least 1 inch, 31 at least golf ball size and 6 at least 2 inches.

That share of large hail is high: roughly four of every five reports here were severe-size. The five counties also logged 893 thunderstorm wind reports and 24 tornado records, plus many high-wind days from mountain-wave winds that are recorded separately.

Which counties report the most?

Counts depend partly on how many people are around to report hail. Knox County, with Knoxville, has the most people; remote mountain areas of Sevier and Blount are likely under-reported.

When is hail season?

Short answer: March through June, peaking in April (72 reports from 2006 to 2025) and May (64). That is about a month earlier than the May peak in the Carolinas.

1Jan

6Feb

24Mar

72Apr

64May

46Jun

21Jul

15Aug

13Sep

8Oct

0Nov

0Dec

Largest hail

The ten largest hail reports in these counties since 2006:

Busiest hail days

Notable days: April 27, 2011 (14 reports, including 2.75-inch hail in Knoxville, during the same outbreak that produced an EF4 tornado in Blount County), April 10, 2025 (13) and September 4, 2025 (12).

Each year

After a quiet stretch from 2017 to 2022, 2025 brought 44 reports, the most of any year in this record. Quiet years do not predict the next one.

Tornadoes

Strong tornadoes are uncommon in the valley, but April 2011 showed they happen.

EF2 and stronger tornadoes recorded in these counties since 2006:

• April 25, 2010: EF2 in Blount County, near Lanier
• March 23, 2011: EF3 in Blount County, near Kiser
• April 27, 2011: EF4 in Blount County, near Chilhowee
• August 7, 2023: EF2 in Knox County, near Byrds Chapel

See tornado damage and ice dams and winter damage.

After 2025

NOAA's final data lags by months. The Storm Center shows preliminary Storm Prediction Center reports for the five counties, refreshed every 15 minutes, since January 2025.

Did it hail at your house?

1. Look up the date in the Storm Center log or the NOAA Storm Events Database.
2. Check the soft metal on your house (see checking your roof for hail).
3. Talk to neighbors and look at cars parked outside.
4. If you see signs, get an inspection.

Insurers may check your address in hail-mapping data. Your own dated photos of hail and dents are evidence if their data disagrees.

Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk details files 2006–2025, county-level hail, thunderstorm wind and tornado events for Knox, Blount, Anderson, Sevier and Loudon counties, downloaded October 29, 2026. A report is one observation, so one storm can create several, and unreported hail is not counted.

Reading the reports

NOAA reports are points where hail or damage was observed. Storms cover much more ground, so a report a few miles from you may mean your house was hit too. Storm Prediction Center reports are preliminary and appear within hours; the NOAA Storm Events Database, used for these totals, is finalized months later. Check the Storm Center for recent storms.