Lightning TrackerSurprise storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Surprise, AZ, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Surprise, AZ
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Surprise by the numbers
Surprise gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 424 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 53 hail reports, 366 damaging-wind reports and 5 tornado reports. On average that is 10.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in July, August, September, when 84% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 4 hail reports, 12 wind reports and 0 tornado reports around Surprise; the largest hail was 2.00″ (hen egg) on Oct 21, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Surprise
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2026 | Hail 2.00″ | 12 mi E · Maricopa Co. |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 14 mi SE · Maricopa Co. |
| Aug 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi E · Maricopa Co. |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi S · Maricopa Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 19 mi E · Maricopa Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 14 mi SE · Maricopa Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 15 mi SW · Maricopa Co. |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Damaging wind | 12 mi SE |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Hail 0.25″ | 12 mi SE |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Hail 1.00″ | 17 mi W |
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 Surprise
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Surprise
Surprise averages 2.3 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 12 miles from the city centre on Oct 21, 2026. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Surprise
There have been 5 tornado reports within 25 miles of Surprise since 2016; the strongest was rated EF0 (Nov 29, 2019, 13 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Surprise 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 Surprise
Questions about storms in Surprise
Does Surprise get a lot of severe storms?
Surprise averages 10.0 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 Surprise?
Most severe-weather reports around Surprise come in July, August, September.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Surprise?
2.00 inches (hen egg size) on Oct 21, 2026, 12 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Surprise?
Yes — 5 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF0 on Nov 29, 2019.
How do I get storm alerts for Surprise?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Surprise, AZ. 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 Surprise, AZ. 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.