Hail in Custer County, MT
Hail big enough to damage a home is a recurring reality in Custer County. NOAA radar has confirmed 35 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Custer County since 2025, the largest 3″ (baseball) on July 29, 2025. The most recent confirmed hail was July 3, 2026.
Did hail hit your exact address?
This page covers the whole area. Enter your address to see what NOAA radar detected over your specific roof - free, in seconds.
About Custer County, MT
Custer County lies in southeastern Montana, a sweep of open plains and badlands along the Yellowstone River near Miles City. Strong summer heating over this terrain can fire thunderstorms that produce baseball-size hail in the harder cells. Glasgow (KGGW) is the closest radar but sits roughly 144 miles to the north, a long distance that leaves it reading only the upper portions of storms over the county.
The hail record for Custer County, MT
At the 3″ mark Custer County has recorded, hail can crack windshields and pock sheet metal, the kind of storm that fills body shops as fast as it fills roofers' calendars.
Hail is closer to routine than rare in Custer County, with 35 confirmed events on the radar record since 2025.
July does most of the damage here; Custer County is comparatively quiet the rest of the year.
Common questions
How often does it hail in Custer County?
NOAA radar has confirmed 35 severe hail events (1 inch or larger) in the Custer County area since 2025.
When is hail season in Custer County?
Hail in Custer County is concentrated in July, within a season that runs spring into early summer.
What's the largest hail recorded in Custer County?
Radar confirmed 3-inch hail, about baseball size, on July 29, 2025.
Does homeowner's insurance cover hail damage?
Hail is a covered peril under most standard homeowner's policies (typically HO-3), subject to your deductible. Whether you have replacement-cost or actual-cash-value coverage makes a big difference in what's paid out. Your declarations page will say which.
Has Custer County had hail big enough to total a roof?
3″ hail is in the range where damage can be severe enough to warrant a full roof replacement on standard asphalt shingles. Whether a roof is actually totaled depends on its material and age, how intense the storm was at your specific address, and your insurer's inspection. Hail size alone doesn't decide it.
How do I know if my roof was damaged by hail?
Common signs are granules collecting in gutters and downspouts, bruised or cracked shingles, and dents on soft metals like vents, flashing, and gutter tops. A lot of hail damage isn't visible from the ground, so a professional inspection is the reliable check.
Should I file a hail claim or pay out of pocket?
It depends on the damage versus your deductible. At the 3″ sizes seen here, damage often exceeds a typical deductible, which can make a claim worthwhile, but get a repair estimate first to compare, and keep in mind that filing can affect future premiums.
Recent confirmed hail near Custer County, MT
What this means for your home
Don't overlook vehicle damage
Hail at the 3″ sizes Custer County has seen also dents vehicles, cracks glass, and chips paint. Document car damage alongside your roof before any repairs. Both can be part of the same claim.
If you were just hit
With recent hail in Custer County, you're still in the window to document and report it. Photograph any damage, note the storm date, confirm what radar detected at your address, and review your policy's reporting requirements. Deadlines vary.
Read anything before you sign it
Some contractors ask storm-hit homeowners to sign an "assignment of benefits," which can hand control of your insurance claim to them. Read it closely. You can document and file a claim yourself without giving that up.
Document before you repair
If you suspect hail damage, photograph it and note the storm's date before making any repairs. Undocumented or already-fixed damage is much harder to claim later.
Claims have deadlines
Policies set a deadline for hail-damage claims, and state law may also apply. Windows range from months to several years depending on your state and policy. Knowing the exact date hail hit your address helps you file on time.
Get more than one estimate
After a damaging storm, reputable local roofers get busy and out-of-town crews flood in. Get multiple written estimates and verify licensing and local references before signing anything.
Before you call your insurer
Get the radar evidence for your address.
A NOAA Radar Evidence Report documents exactly what federal radar recorded at your address - hail size, date, and signature - in a formatted PDF you can attach to a claim. Built entirely from public NOAA data.
Events are NOAA/NWS Severe Thunderstorm Warnings with confirmed hail ≥ 1 inch, matched to this county by the warning centroid. Federal public-domain data. A confirmed event indicates radar-detected hail over the area, not a guarantee of damage to any specific property.