Lightning TrackerWashington storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Washington, DC, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Washington, DC
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Washington by the numbers
Washington sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,887 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 195 hail reports, 1,671 damaging-wind reports and 21 tornado reports. On average that is 24.5 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 64% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 4 hail reports, 101 wind reports and 0 tornado reports around Washington; the largest hail was 1.25″ (half dollar) on Jun 14, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Washington
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 22 mi SW · Prince William Co. |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 1 mi N · District Of Colum Co. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi SW · City Of Alexandri Co. |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Damaging wind | 21 mi S · Charles Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi NW · District Of Colum Co. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Damaging wind | 15 mi NE · Prince Georges Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi N · District Of Colum Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 12 mi S · Prince Georges Co. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi W · Fairfax Co. |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 23 mi SW · Prince William 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 Washington
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Washington
Washington averages 4.8 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 Washington
There have been 21 tornado reports within 25 miles of Washington since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Sep 1, 2021, 24 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Washington 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 Washington
Questions about storms in Washington
Does Washington get a lot of severe storms?
Washington averages 24.5 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 Washington?
Most severe-weather reports around Washington come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Washington?
2.75 inches (baseball size) on May 2, 2016, 21 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Washington?
Yes — 21 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Sep 1, 2021.
How do I get storm alerts for Washington?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Washington, DC. 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 Washington, DC. 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.