Hail history for Chicago, IL

Last hail within 10 milesJul 27, 20261.5 in (ping pong ball)

Hail days, last 12 months3

Largest hail since 20062.75 in (baseball)Jun 30, 2011

Hail days since 200643

Days with hail 1 inch or larger36

Tornadoes within 10 miles9

Damaging wind reports within 10 miles474

Hail has been reported within 10 miles of Chicago on 43 days since 2006. The largest stones measured 2.75 in (baseball) on Jun 30, 2011. Hail is most common here in June and May.

Chicago ranks #106 for hail days among the 311 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more people. See the ranking →

Recent hail near Chicago

Date	Hail size	Where	Source
Jul 27, 2026	1.5 in ping pong ball	Greater Grand Cross, Northerly Island 2 hail reports · closest 2 mi from Chicago	NWS storm report (preliminary)
Mar 30, 2026	2 in hen egg	Berwyn, Stickney, Elsdon 4 hail reports · closest 5 mi from Chicago	NOAA Storm Events
Mar 10, 2026	1.5 in ping pong ball	Forest Park, Northerly Island, Garfield Park 4 hail reports · closest 2 mi from Chicago	NOAA Storm Events
May 15, 2025	1 in quarter	Ravenswood 1 hail report · closest 8 mi from Chicago	NOAA Storm Events
Mar 19, 2025	1 in quarter	Hometown 1 hail report · closest 10 mi from Chicago	NOAA Storm Events

One row per day: the largest hail reported that day within 10 miles, the places and the number of reports.

Hail days near Chicago by year

When hail season peaks near Chicago

Of the 43 hail days since 2006, most fell in June (13) and May (9).

Largest hail storms near Chicago

Jun 30, 2011 · 2.75 in (baseball) · Brighton Park (3 mi from Chicago)

National Weather Service description (English): Hail as large as baseballs was reported near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue. Hundreds of vehicles were damaged including at least 130 police cars that suffered broken windshields and smashed rooftop lights.

Mar 30, 2026 · 2 in (hen egg) · Berwyn (7 mi from Chicago)

May 3, 2012 · 1.75 in (golf ball) · Dunning (9 mi from Chicago)

National Weather Service description (English): Numerous large hail reports were received from the near-north side of Chicago. The largest report was of golfball size hail near the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Addison Street. Quarter to ping-pong ball size hail was reported near Harwood Heights, Portage Park, Old Irving Park, and just east of North Park.

May 17, 2019 · 1.5 in (ping pong ball) · Avondale (8 mi from Chicago)

Jun 1, 2019 · 1.5 in (ping pong ball) · Berwyn (5 mi from Chicago)

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Chicago

Date	Rating	Where	Path
Jul 15, 2024	EF1	Ashburn 7 mi from Chicago	3.2 mi long, 150 yd wide
Jul 15, 2024	EF1	East Garfield Park 3 mi from Chicago	3.1 mi long, 400 yd wide
Jul 15, 2024	EF0	Ukrainian Village 4 mi from Chicago	1.4 mi long, 150 yd wide
Jul 14, 2024	EF0	Chicago Midway Airport 6 mi from Chicago	8.0 mi long, 300 yd wide
Jul 14, 2024	EF0	Englewood 6 mi from Chicago	3.6 mi long, 200 yd wide
Sep 3, 2018	EF0	Berwyn 5 mi from Chicago	1.7 mi long, 75 yd wide
Aug 9, 2016	EF0	Cicero 4 mi from Chicago	0.0 mi long, 10 yd wide
May 26, 2015	EF0	Mc Cook 9 mi from Chicago	0.4 mi long, 50 yd wide
Sep 22, 2006	F0	Chicago 1 mi from Chicago	0.3 mi long, 50 yd wide

Damaging thunderstorm winds near Chicago

474 reports of damaging thunderstorm wind within 10 miles of Chicago since 2006, on 121 days. The strongest measured gust was 85 mph on Aug 10, 2020.

Date	Strongest gust	Where	Source
Aug 11, 2026	60 mph, measured	Navy Pier, Auburn-Gresham, Washington Hts - C 11 wind reports	NWS storm report (preliminary)
Aug 9, 2026	damage reported	Edgewater - Chica, Humboldt Park - C 2 wind reports	NWS storm report (preliminary)
Jul 27, 2026	74 mph, measured	Midway Airport, Lakeview - Chicago, North Park - Chicago 16 wind reports	NWS storm report (preliminary)
Jul 3, 2026	72 mph, measured	Midway Airport, Chicago Loop, Navy Pier 11 wind reports	NWS storm report (preliminary)
Jun 24, 2026	69 mph, estimated	Evergreen Park, Washington Heights, Uptown 3 wind reports	NOAA Storm Events
Jun 11, 2026	81 mph, estimated	Scottsdale, Beverly View, Beverly 32 wind reports	NOAA Storm Events
Jun 10, 2026	81 mph, estimated	Stickney, Lakeview, Burbank 34 wind reports	NOAA Storm Events
May 18, 2026	79 mph, measured	Chicago Midway Airport, Elsdon, Roseland 9 wind reports	NOAA Storm Events
Apr 17, 2026	62 mph, measured	Northerly Island 1 wind report	NOAA Storm Events
Apr 14, 2026	63 mph, measured	Albany Park 1 wind report	NOAA Storm Events

Severe thunderstorm wind means gusts of 58 mph or more, or wind that caused damage. Measured gusts come from weather stations; estimated ones from spotters and damage surveys.

Filing a roof or car hail claim?

Insurers ask for the date of loss. The dates on this page are when hail was reported near Chicago; hail can hit one street and miss the next, so a report is not proof of damage at your address. A licensed roofer or your insurance adjuster can inspect the roof. Many policies set a time limit for filing a claim — check yours.

Nearby cities

Data: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (final records through Jun 30, 2026) and National Weather Service Local Storm Reports (preliminary, since then). Distances are measured from the center of Chicago.

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