255
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$125K
Property damage
Hail in Worcester County, Massachusetts: 255 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 2. That places the county #412 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in Worcester County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in Worcester County is the 2010s, when 107 of the county's 255 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Worcester County archive, hail makes up 20.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #412 for this hazard and #1 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 86.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for hail in Worcester County with 62 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 1994 | Holden/Worcester | 1 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2025 | NORTH ASHBURNHAM | 1 | $0 |
| May 8, 2025 | WEST BROOKFIELD | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 26, 2024 | OAKHAM | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 26, 2024 | RUTLAND | 1 | $0 |
| May 8, 2024 | STURBRIDGE | 1 | $0 |
| May 8, 2024 | HUBBARDSTON | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 8, 2023 | STERLING | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 8, 2023 | WEST BROOKFIELD | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 2023 | CHARLTON | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2022 | ATHOL | 1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Worcester County
- Thunderstorm Wind 660
- Flood 119
- Flash Flood 78
- Lightning 75
- Tornado 52
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Quarter to ping pong ball size hail fell for 8 minutes across Petersham. Accumulated hail reached depths up to 6 inches in spots. Some roof damage was reported as well as a few dented cars. Hail could still be seen in spots up to 14 hours after it fell.
A wet microburst occurred. Trees 4 to 20 inches in diameter were snapped off 8 to 10 feet above ground level along a 0.25 mile wide by 0.50 mile path. Dime-size hail was also reported. These reports were received from the local civil defense director.
A National Weather Service survey reported numerous trees up to four feet in diameter blown down, many power lines down, and storefront windows blown in. In addition, a number of signs were blown down and one crashed through a store window. A large tree fell on and destroyed two parked cars. Trees up to 100 feet high were stripped of their bark. Up to 2,200 electric customers lost power in Westboro and about the same number lost power in several adjoining communities.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
255 hail events are recorded in Worcester County between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in Worcester County?
The strongest hail on record in Worcester County measured 2.
Where does the hail data for Worcester County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Hail in Worcester County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/worcester-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.