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Storm tracker · Columbus, OH

Columbus storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history

Live watches and warnings for Columbus, OH, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.

Live alerts for Columbus, OH

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    Storm outlook, next 48 hours

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    Thunderstorm forecastHigh instabilityModerateLow

    Severe weather in Columbus by the numbers

    14.7severe-weather days a year (avg 2016–2025)
    4.7hail days a year
    69storm reports in the last 12 months
    2.00″biggest hail since 2016 (Mar 14, 2024)
    21tornado reports since 2016 · strongest EF2

    Columbus gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 612 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 163 hail reports, 428 damaging-wind reports and 21 tornado reports. On average that is 14.7 days a year with at least one report.

    Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 53% of all reports were filed.

    In the last 12 months there were 17 hail reports, 49 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Columbus; the largest hail was 1.75″ (golf ball) on Jun 6, 2026.

    Latest storm reports near Columbus

    DateReportWhere
    Sep 19, 2026Damaging wind19 mi S · Pickaway Co.
    Sep 9, 2026Damaging wind14 mi N · Delaware Co.
    Aug 22, 2026Damaging wind7 mi SW · Franklin Co.
    Aug 16, 2026Damaging wind14 mi SE · Fairfield Co.
    Aug 11, 2026Tornado2 mi S · Franklin Co.
    Aug 11, 2026Damaging wind6 mi E · Franklin Co.
    Aug 10, 2026Damaging wind14 mi N · Delaware Co.
    Aug 8, 2026Damaging wind13 mi NE · Franklin Co.
    Jul 21, 2026Damaging wind19 mi SW · Madison Co.
    Jul 18, 2026Damaging wind17 mi N · Delaware 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

    025507610116: 10 hail16: 19 damaging wind16: 1 tornado1617: 17 hail17: 34 damaging wind1718: 17 hail18: 42 damaging wind18: 2 tornado1819: 11 hail19: 47 damaging wind1920: 10 hail20: 89 damaging wind20: 2 tornado2021: 3 hail21: 20 damaging wind2122: 12 hail22: 36 damaging wind2223: 18 hail23: 28 damaging wind23: 4 tornado2324: 40 hail24: 28 damaging wind24: 8 tornado2425: 8 hail25: 36 damaging wind25: 1 tornado2526: 17 hail26: 49 damaging wind26: 3 tornado26
    HailDamaging windTornado

    Storm season in Columbus

    0326497129Jan: 4JanFeb: 24FebMar: 67MarApr: 73AprMay: 65MayJun: 115JunJul: 129JulAug: 79AugSep: 38SepOct: 6OctNov: 11NovDec: 1Dec

    All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.

    Hail in Columbus

    Columbus averages 4.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.00 inches — about the size of a hen egg — reported 21 miles from the city centre on Mar 14, 2024. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.

    Tornadoes near Columbus

    There have been 21 tornado reports within 25 miles of Columbus since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Feb 28, 2024, 10 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.

    Storm alerts for Columbus 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.

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    Storm trackers near Columbus

    Indianapolis, IN168 mi · 13.0 storm days/yrChicago, IL276 mi · 13.6 storm days/yrWashington, DC327 mi · 24.5 storm days/yrNashville, TN333 mi · 18.9 storm days/yrBaltimore, MD343 mi · 20.3 storm days/yrCharlotte, NC348 mi · 19.7 storm days/yrAll of Ohiolive warnings & state storm stats

    Questions about storms in Columbus

    Does Columbus get a lot of severe storms?

    Columbus averages 14.7 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 Columbus?

    Most severe-weather reports around Columbus come in June, July, August.

    What is the biggest hail recorded near Columbus?

    2.00 inches (hen egg size) on Mar 14, 2024, 21 miles from the city centre.

    Have tornadoes hit near Columbus?

    Yes — 21 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Feb 28, 2024.

    How do I get storm alerts for Columbus?

    The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Columbus, OH. 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 Columbus, OH. 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 Sep 30, 2026.