Hail in Grand Traverse County, MI
NOAA radar has confirmed 2 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Grand Traverse County since 2025, the largest 1.3″ (half dollar) on May 17, 2025. The most recent confirmed hail was June 16, 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 Grand Traverse County, MI
Grand Traverse County wraps around the bays of its name in the northwest Lower Peninsula, a landscape of orchards, hills, and Lake Michigan shoreline. Hail is rare here; the cool, moderating influence of the surrounding water tends to stabilize the air and blunt the severe storms that form more readily over the interior. Coverage comes from the Gaylord-area KAPX radar roughly 44 miles to the east, which keeps watch on the warm-season cells that occasionally push through.
The hail record for Grand Traverse County, MI
May does most of the damage here; Grand Traverse County is comparatively quiet the rest of the year.
Grand Traverse County is no Plains hot spot, but the storms that do reach it have still dropped hail up to 1.3″.
Common questions
How often does it hail in Grand Traverse County?
NOAA radar has confirmed 2 severe hail events (1 inch or larger) in the Grand Traverse County area since 2025.
When is hail season in Grand Traverse County?
Hail in Grand Traverse County is concentrated in May, within a season that runs spring into early summer.
What's the largest hail recorded in Grand Traverse County?
Radar confirmed 1.3-inch hail, about half dollar size, on May 17, 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.
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.
Is Grand Traverse County's hail big enough to damage a roof?
It can be. Asphalt shingles can begin showing functional damage in the ¾-to-1-inch range, and Grand Traverse County's confirmed hail reaches 1.3″. At these sizes damage is often hard to see from the ground, so whether it's a claimable loss depends on shingle type, age, and an inspection.
Hail just hit, what should I do?
Safely photograph any hail and note the time, then confirm what radar recorded at your address before calling your insurer. Most policies require prompt notice after a hail event, and deadlines vary by policy and state, so don't wait to document it.
Recent confirmed hail near Grand Traverse County, MI
What this means for your home
If you were just hit
With recent hail in Grand Traverse 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.
Damage can be invisible from the ground
At Grand Traverse County's typical sizes, hail often bruises shingles and loosens granules without obvious holes, shortening roof life in ways that are easy to miss until the next storm or an inspection.
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.
Know your hail deductible
Many policies in hail-prone states use a percentage deductible, often 1–2% of the home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $400,000 home that can be $4,000–$8,000 out of pocket before coverage starts, so it's worth checking your declarations page before a storm.
Keep a 'before' record
Photos of your roof and exterior in good condition make new hail damage much easier to prove later. A few shots now, before the next storm, can save an argument with an adjuster over what's old wear and what's storm damage.
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.