Colorado Hail Season 2026: What Homeowners Need to Know

Colorado consistently ranks as one of the most hail-prone states in the country. With billions of dollars in insured losses each year, understanding when and where hail strikes is critical for protecting your home and filing timely insurance claims. Here is what Colorado homeowners should expect heading into the 2026 hail season.

When Does Hail Season Start in Colorado?

Colorado's hail season generally runs from April through September, with the most intense activity occurring between mid-May and mid-July. During these peak months, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cold fronts descending from the Rockies, creating the severe thunderstorms that produce damaging hailstones.

June is historically the most active month. In some years, Colorado has experienced multiple significant hail events in a single week during the peak window. However, hail can occur as early as March and as late as October if conditions align.

Which Areas Get Hit the Hardest?

Hail is not evenly distributed across the state. The Front Range corridor — stretching from Fort Collins through Denver and south to Colorado Springs — absorbs the majority of damaging hail events. This is partly due to geography: the rapid elevation change along the Front Range creates ideal conditions for severe convective storms.

High-Risk Zones

Denver metro area — The most populated area in the state also sees some of the highest frequency of hail events. Suburbs like Lakewood, Aurora, Thornton, and Westminster are regularly impacted.

Colorado Springs — The second largest city sits squarely in the hail corridor and has experienced several catastrophic hail events in recent years.

Greeley and the northern Front Range — Weld County regularly tops the list for total hail reports each year.

Eastern Plains — While less populated, towns like Limon, Burlington, and Yuma see very large hail from supercell thunderstorms that form along the Palmer Divide and track eastward.

How Big Does Hail Get in Colorado?

Colorado sees the full range of hail sizes. A typical hail-producing storm may drop stones ranging from pea size (about a quarter inch) to golf ball size (1.75 inches). However, Colorado regularly produces storms with hail exceeding two inches in diameter, and events with baseball-sized hail (2.75 inches) are reported multiple times each year along the Front Range.

The largest hailstone ever recorded in Colorado measured over four inches in diameter. While stones that large are rare, any hail one inch or larger can cause significant roof damage, particularly on older or more vulnerable roofing materials.

How Many Hail Events Happen Each Year?

Colorado averages roughly 300 to 400 significant hail events per year across the state, though this number varies considerably. Some years see concentrated bursts of activity while others are relatively quiet. HailScore tracks over 96,960 historical storm events nationwide, with a significant concentration in Colorado's Front Range region.

What matters most for homeowners is not the statewide total but the number of events that occurred near your specific address. A home in central Denver may have been within range of a dozen or more hail events over the past decade, while a home just 20 miles away could have experienced far fewer.

How to Prepare Before Hail Season

Taking steps now — before the first storms arrive — can save thousands of dollars and weeks of headaches later.

Inspect Your Roof

If your roof is more than five years old or you know it has been through previous hail events, schedule a professional inspection before the season starts. Existing damage that goes unrepaired makes your roof far more vulnerable to the next storm.

Document Your Property

Take photos of your roof, siding, gutters, windows, and any outdoor fixtures before hail season begins. Time-stamped documentation makes it much easier to prove storm damage when filing an insurance claim.

Review Your Insurance Policy

Understand your coverage before you need it. Check whether your policy uses Replacement Cost Value (RCV) or Actual Cash Value (ACV), what your wind and hail deductible is, and whether there is a filing deadline after a storm event.

Trim Trees and Secure Loose Items

Overhanging branches can break during a storm and cause additional roof damage. Secure patio furniture, grills, and other outdoor items that could become projectiles in high winds.

What to Do After a Hailstorm

After a storm passes through your area, take these steps promptly:

Check for visible damage from the ground. Look for dented gutters, cracked siding, and damaged window screens.

Document everything with photos and video before making any repairs.

Check your HailScore to see exactly how many storms have impacted your address and how severe they were.

Contact a licensed roofing contractor for a professional inspection. Many reputable contractors offer free inspections.

File your insurance claim promptly. Colorado has specific filing deadlines, and waiting too long can jeopardize your claim.

Signs of Hail Damage on Your Roof

Hail damage is not always visible from the ground. On asphalt shingles, look for circular dark spots where granules have been knocked loose, soft spots that feel like a bruise when pressed, and cracked or missing shingles. On metal roofs, look for dents and dings. On gutters and downspouts, look for dents and dimples that match the pattern of hail impact.

Check Your Storm History

The best way to understand your hail risk is to look at actual historical data for your address. HailScore analyzes 10 years of NOAA storm reports to calculate a personalized risk score for your home, factoring in storm frequency, hail size, recency, and proximity.

Check your HailScore for free — enter your address and see every hailstorm that has hit near your home in the last decade. No signup required.