Lightning TrackerColumbia storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Columbia, MD, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Columbia, MD
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Columbia by the numbers
Columbia sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,651 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 160 hail reports, 1,461 damaging-wind reports and 30 tornado reports. On average that is 22.9 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 65% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 4 hail reports, 116 wind reports and 5 tornado reports around Columbia; the largest hail was 1.75″ (golf ball) on Jul 28, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Columbia
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi NW · Carroll Co. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi W · Montgomery Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi SE · Howard Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Tornado | 17 mi E · Baltimore Co. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi S · Prince Georges Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi W · Howard Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Hail 1.75″ | 16 mi E · Baltimore City Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Tornado | 17 mi E · Anne Arundel Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi E · Baltimore City Co. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi N · Howard Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Columbia
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Columbia
Columbia averages 5.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.75 inches — about the size of a baseball — reported 21 miles from the city centre on May 2, 2016. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Columbia
There have been 30 tornado reports within 25 miles of Columbia since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Nov 2, 2018, 19 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Columbia on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Columbia
Questions about storms in Columbia
Does Columbia get a lot of severe storms?
Columbia averages 22.9 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Columbia?
Most severe-weather reports around Columbia come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Columbia?
2.75 inches (baseball size) on May 2, 2016, 21 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Columbia?
Yes — 30 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Nov 2, 2018.
How do I get storm alerts for Columbia?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Columbia, MD. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Columbia, MD. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.