Lafayette hail storm history
Tippecanoe County·NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database·~75-day publication lag
Lafayette, located in Tippecanoe County, has experienced zero hail events of 1 inch or larger over the past 10 years according to NOAA records. The city sits at the transition zone between Great Plains and Appalachian weather systems, a geographic position that creates variable hail risk across central Indiana.
Hail risk in Lafayette is concentrated in spring months, with April, May, and June presenting the highest probability of significant hail events. Secondary risk extends into March and July, driven by northeast-tracking storm systems that develop across the Great Plains and intensify as they move through Indiana's transitional climate zone.
Annual frequency — last 10 years
When hail hits — monthly pattern
Avg events per month · all years · NOAA data
All recorded hail events
Of 67 recorded events, 13 (19%) reached 1.5" or larger — the threshold for likely functional damage on standard asphalt shingles.
Hail was mostly 0.50 inches in diameter one-half mile west of US Highway 41.
Thunderstorm hail over southwestern Clinton County, with hail as large as 1.50 inches east of Coalfa…
Relayed via social media.
Thunderstorm produced 1.00 inch hail along Indiana Route 29 north of Michigantown.
Mostly nickel sized but a few were up to the size of golf balls.
Relayed via Twitter.
Hail stones varied from blueberry and coco puff size to roughly nickel size.
Quarter size hail was reported near Benton Central High School.
Winds in this location were estimated at 50 mph.
Some minor street flooding was also observed.
Tippecanoe County has lower reporting density in the NOAA Storm Events Database compared to heavily populated regions, which means the recorded event count of zero may not fully represent actual hail exposure in Lafayette. Storm reports depend on trained spotters and damage assessments, and underreporting is common in less densely monitored rural areas. Current-year data is excluded from the annual frequency table until October, when NOAA's Storm Events Database has processed the full hail season accounting for the standard 75-day reporting lag.
NOAA Storm Events Database source