The storm-season calendar for roofs, state by state

How the calendar was built

Every count on this site comes from NOAA's Storm Events Database, which holds severe weather records collected by the National Weather Service, tallied here by month for 2016 through 2025. The database counts events, not storms. Under the National Weather Service's Storm Data instruction, hail, tornado and thunderstorm wind reports are entered county by county, while winter storms, ice storms, heavy snow and tropical storms are entered by forecast zone.

That matters when you read the numbers. One sprawling storm can add dozens of entries in a single day. All 38 October ice storm events Oklahoma logged in the decade began on a single day, October 26, 2020 (one of those zone entries). Treat the counts as a picture of when damaging weather tends to land and how widely, not as a tally of separate storms.

Peak month for each storm type

The table shows the single busiest month for each event type, with the ten-year count for that month in brackets. A dash means fewer than 30 events of that type in the decade, or none.

What the calendar shows, region by region

Southern Plains

Texas and Oklahoma put hail, tornadoes and wind in the same late-spring window. May is the top hail month in both states, and in Texas the three months from April through June hold 9,946 of its 12,919 hail events. The spring hail guide breaks that down month by month.

Central Plains, High Plains and Missouri

The hail peak slides north and later as the season goes on. Kansas and Missouri peak in May, Nebraska and Colorado in June. Missouri stands out for an early start, with 830 hail events in March alone.

Upper Midwest

Minnesota's hail peaks in July, and Iowa's in June. Wisconsin's peaks earlier, in May, while thunderstorm wind across the region is busiest in July. Winter storm events then take over from November into April.

Gulf and Atlantic coast

Louisiana and Georgia see their hail and tornado peaks in April. Tropical storm events cluster from August to October, with September the busiest month in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. Louisiana's peak tropical storm month in this window is October, but its peak month for hurricane events is August, with 46.

Hurricane season on the calendar

The National Hurricane Center's climatology page gives the Atlantic season as June 1 to November 30, with a climatological peak on September 10 and most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Over 1991-2020, an average season produced 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. The hurricane season guide pairs those dates with the monthly counts for five coastal states.

When to book roof work, based on the counts

1. Schedule planned work for your quiet months. In Texas, November through February holds under 5 percent of the decade's hail events; in Kansas it is under 1 percent, and Colorado recorded no hail events at all in those four months. That is the time to replace an aging roof or upgrade to impact-rated shingles, before the spring run.
2. Book a checkup a month or two ahead of your peak. A Minnesota roof inspected in May is ready for July; a Texas roof inspected in February is ready for April and May.
3. Inspect after every event that hits your county. Look up the date on the database, photograph what you see from the ground, and get a roofer on the roof before the next storm finds the damage.
4. Mind the shoulder seasons up north. Minnesota logged only 34 hail events in October and 47 winter storm events, which makes October the narrow gap between its hail and snow seasons. The winter storm calendar covers the cold months.

The National Roofing Directory's Storm Center tracks active weather, and you can find a roofer in your state on the Directory once you know your window. Before you sign, check your state's rules on the roofing licensing page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the worst month for storm damage to roofs?

It depends on where you live. In this ten-year record, May is the top hail month in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin, June in Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa and Michigan, July in Minnesota, and April in Louisiana and Georgia. Coastal states add a tropical peak from August to October.

Why are winter storm counts so high in some months?

Winter storms are logged once for each forecast zone they affect, so one large storm can produce dozens of entries. The counts show how often and how widely winter weather hit, not how many separate storms there were.

When is the best time to replace a roof in hail country?

In the months your state records the least hail. In Texas, November through February accounts for under 5 percent of the decade's hail events, which makes late fall and winter the natural window for planned work.

Where do these numbers come from?

From NOAA's Storm Events Database, which compiles the National Weather Service's Storm Data reports. The hurricane season dates and averages come from the National Hurricane Center's climatology page.