Lightning TrackerRochester storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Rochester, NY, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Rochester, NY
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Rochester by the numbers
Rochester gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 382 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 48 hail reports, 332 damaging-wind reports and 2 tornado reports. On average that is 8.1 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 60% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 2 hail reports, 29 wind reports and 1 tornado report around Rochester; the largest hail was 1.25″ (half dollar) on Jul 18, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Rochester
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi SE · Monroe Co. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Tornado | 13 mi E · Monroe Co. |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 23 mi S · Ontario Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi SW · Monroe Co. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi SE · Ontario Co. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 16 mi SE · Ontario Co. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi E · Monroe Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi NW · Monroe Co. |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi W · Monroe Co. |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 21 mi E · Wayne 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 Rochester
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Rochester
Rochester averages 2.0 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.50 inches — about the size of a tennis ball — reported 18 miles from the city centre on Jul 15, 2024. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Rochester
There have been 2 tornado reports within 25 miles of Rochester since 2016; the strongest was rated EF0 (Jul 29, 2020, 15 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Rochester 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 Rochester
Questions about storms in Rochester
Does Rochester get a lot of severe storms?
Rochester averages 8.1 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 Rochester?
Most severe-weather reports around Rochester come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Rochester?
2.50 inches (tennis ball size) on Jul 15, 2024, 18 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Rochester?
Yes — 2 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF0 on Jul 29, 2020.
How do I get storm alerts for Rochester?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Rochester, NY. 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 Rochester, NY. 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.