McDowell County Storm Activity
Wind, hail, and tornado activity from official NOAA sources (NWS & SPC) · Last 12 months · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Has it hailed in McDowell County, North Carolina recently? Official National Weather Service (NWS) and Storm Prediction Center (SPC) records say yes: 35 hail reports with hail up to 1", among 51 severe weather events logged here in the last 12 months, together with 16 high-wind reports with gusts up to 55 mph. The most recent recorded storm activity was in September 2026. This page updates daily: every event comes straight from official NOAA data — no estimates, no modeling, just the record.
What the radar showed
Last 30 days in McDowell County
Recent storms — full detail available in the app
Storm activity from the last 30 days is summarized at the county level on this page. Exact locations, radar snapshots, and official warning boundaries for recent events are available with a free account.
See the specifics — free →Storm log — the official record, day by day
Events older than 30 days, as recorded by the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center. Excerpts are quoted directly from official warnings and verified reports.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
3 SPC verified storm reports · 1 NWS warning — hail up to 1"
“Corrects previous hail report from Marion. (GSP)”
“At 1005 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northeast of Marion, or near Lake James, moving south at 30 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 1" Marion SPC verified report
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind Unknown 1 NW Glenwood SPC verified report
- Wind Unknown 2 NW Marion SPC verified report
Sunday, August 9, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 703 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles south of Marion, or 8 miles southeast of Old Fort, moving northeast at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Saturday, August 8, 2026
3 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.25"
“At 522 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13 miles northwest of Rutherfordton, or 5 miles northeast of Lake Lure. This storm was nearly stationary. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 516 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13 miles northeast of Rutherfordton, or 11 miles southwest of South Mountains State Park. This storm was nearly stationary. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible.”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.25"
“At 445 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles northeast of Rutherfordton, or 10 miles north of Bostic, moving northwest at 10 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 415 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 11 miles south of Morganton, or near South Mountains State Park, moving northwest at 10 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
1 SPC verified storm report
“Emergency Manager reports trees down across central and eastern McDowell County. (GSP)”
- Wind Unknown Marion SPC verified report
Monday, July 20, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 319 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Marion, moving east at 5 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Marion, Lake James State Park, Lake James, Glenwood, Nebo, and Dysartsville.”
- Wind 50 mph McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Sunday, July 19, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 230 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4 miles east of Marion, or near Lake James State Park, moving east at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Saturday, July 18, 2026
3 SPC verified storm reports · 3 NWS warnings — hail up to 1"
“mPING report of 1 inch hail near Landis Lane. (GSP)”
“At 213 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles northwest of Morganton, or near Table Rock, moving east at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 1" 2 SW Dysartsville SPC verified report
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind Unknown 1 WSW Nebo SPC verified report
- Wind Unknown 2 SSE Fero SPC verified report
Friday, July 10, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.25"
“At 621 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 10 miles southeast of Marion to near Rutherfordton. Movement was east at 25 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 126 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 11 miles north of Forest City to 3 miles north of Rutherfordton. Movement was east at 30 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Monday, July 6, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 634 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles southeast of Marion, or 9 miles west of South Mountains State Park. This storm was nearly stationary. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Sunday, July 5, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 555 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles west of Marion, or near B.R. Parkway-Little Switzerland To Linville, moving southeast at 10 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Friday, July 3, 2026
1 SPC verified storm report
“Tree reported down on Lake Tahoma Rd. Time estimated from radar. (GSP)”
- Wind Unknown 4 WNW Marion SPC verified report
Monday, June 29, 2026
1 SPC verified storm report · 2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.5", wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 550 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles south of Marion, moving south at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Shingle Hollow, Sugar Hill, Thermal City, Fero, Union Mills, and Glenwood.”
“At 649 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles southwest of Marion, or 6 miles southeast of Old Fort, moving south at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and half inch hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Shingle Hollow and Sugar Hill.”
- Wind 50 mph McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.5" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind Unknown 3 SW Sugar Hill SPC verified report
Saturday, June 27, 2026
2 NWS warnings — wind gusts up to 55 mph
“At 208 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles south of Burnsville, or near Mount Mitchell State Park, moving east at 45 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Marion, B.R. Parkway-Little Switzerland To Linville, Mount Mitchell State Park, B.R.”
“At 257 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5 miles northeast of Marion, or near Lake James State Park, moving east at 30 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Marion, Morganton, Glen Alpine, Lake James State Park, Lake James, and Nebo.”
- Wind 55 mph McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Friday, June 26, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 804 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northeast of Marion, or near Lake James, moving east at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Monday, June 22, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.75"
“At 428 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles north of Forest City, or 10 miles north of Bostic, moving east at 35 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.75" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Sunday, June 14, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 154 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles southeast of Marion, moving east at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include...”
- Wind 50 mph McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Thursday, May 21, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.5"
“At 315 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Rutherfordton, moving northeast at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 245 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13 miles north of Forest City, or 9 miles southwest of South Mountains State Park, moving northeast at 30 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.5" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.5"
“At 431 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles south of Marion, moving northeast at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 347 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles southwest of Marion, or 4 miles east of Old Fort, moving northeast at 15 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.5" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Friday, March 6, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.25"
“At 354 PM EST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles east of Marion, or near Lake James State Park, moving east at 10 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
“At 307 PM EST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Marion, moving east at 5 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.25" McDowell County NWS severe weather mention
Today's severe weather outlook
Common questions
When was the last severe storm in McDowell County, NC?
The most recent recorded event was in September 2026. Official NWS and SPC records show 51 severe weather events in McDowell County over the last 12 months. Exact dates and locations for recent storms are available in the app with a free account.
Has there been hail in McDowell County recently?
Yes — 35 hail reports in the last 12 months, with hail up to 1" recorded.
How do I check whether a specific address was affected?
Create a free IDOLCheck account and run an address check. It shows verified storm reports and official NWS warning boundaries around any specific property — county-level pages like this one only tell part of the story.