Lightning TrackerLexington storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Lexington, KY, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Lexington, KY
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Lexington by the numbers
Lexington gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 514 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 71 hail reports, 428 damaging-wind reports and 15 tornado reports. On average that is 11.3 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 57% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 1 hail report, 35 wind reports and 2 tornado reports around Lexington; the largest hail was 1.00″ (quarter) on Feb 19, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Lexington
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2026 | Damaging wind | 19 mi SE · Madison Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi E · Fayette Co. |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi N · Fayette Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi NW · Scott Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi S · Jessamine Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Tornado | 23 mi NE · Bourbon Co. |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi S · Fayette Co. |
| Jun 17, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi W · Jessamine Co. |
| Apr 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi W · Fayette Co. |
| Mar 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 18 mi NW · Scott 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 Lexington
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Lexington
Lexington averages 2.6 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.00 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 7 miles from the city centre on May 19, 2022. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Lexington
There have been 15 tornado reports within 25 miles of Lexington since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Oct 19, 2025, 11 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Lexington 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 Lexington
Questions about storms in Lexington
Does Lexington get a lot of severe storms?
Lexington averages 11.3 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 Lexington?
Most severe-weather reports around Lexington come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Lexington?
3.00 inches (tea cup size) on May 19, 2022, 7 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Lexington?
Yes — 15 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Oct 19, 2025.
How do I get storm alerts for Lexington?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Lexington, KY. 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 Lexington, KY. 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 5, 2026.