National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

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Map of very large hail in central and southeast Illinois, 1955-2022
Map of 2" or larger size hail reports 1955-2022.  Click image to enlarge.
 

 

Approximate hail sizes as compared to objects. Dimensions refer to the diameter of the object. When very large hail is observed, it is desirable to use a ruler or tape measure for an exact measurement. 

Size Object
2.00" Lime or navel orange
2.25" Standard billiard ball
2.50" Tennis ball
2.75" Baseball
3.00" Large orange
3.50" Croquet ball
4.00" Softball
4.50" Grapefruit
4.75" DVD disc


Specific details on these occurrences can be found at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction's Storm Events Database.
 


These are the largest hailstones (3" diameter or larger) with the Lincoln NWS coverage area of central and southeast Illinois since 1955 (28 reports).  
 

4.50" Diameter
May 9, 1995 Galesburg (Knox County)
April 7, 1998 Arthur (Douglas County)
May 12, 1998 Littleton (Schuyler County)
April 10, 2001 Cowden (Shelby County)
May 9, 2003 Stanford (McLean County)
4.25" Diameter
July 13, 2004 Hudson (McLean County)
May 30, 2008 Philo (Champaign County)
4.00" Diameter
August 26, 2000 Bement (Piatt County)
May 21, 2014 1 mile west-northwest of Tuscola (Douglas County)
May 30, 2004 Metamora (Woodford County)
November 17, 2013 2 miles northeast of Covell (McLean County)
April 4, 2023 Bernadotte (Fulton County)
3.75" Diameter
August 18, 2001 San Jose (Logan County)
3.50" Diameter
June 23, 1960 Oreana (Macon County)
May 5, 1977 Literberry (Morgan County)
June 29, 2012 3 miles south-southwest of Bismarck (Vermilion County)
3.25" Diameter
April 4, 2023 1 mile east-southeast of Table Grove (Fulton County)
May 7, 2023 Chatham (Sangamon County)
3.00" Diameter
June 6, 1971 5 miles north of Effingham (Effingham County)
June 13, 1975 8 miles northeast of Canton (Fulton County)
April 9, 2001 Castleton (Stark County)
May 28, 2003 4 miles northwest of Washington (Tazewell County)
April 16, 2006 Normal (McLean County
May 24, 2006 St. David (Fulton County)
May 30, 2008 3 miles west of Loami (Sangamon County)
May 21, 2014 Camargo (Douglas County)
April 9, 2015 2 miles northeast of Mahomet (Champaign County)
May 1, 2016 3 miles south of Brocton (Edgar County)
April 8, 2020 1 mile west of Devereux Heights (Sangamon County)
August 20, 2022 Washington (Tazewell County)

 

The largest officially documented hailstone in Illinois was 4.75" in diameter, occurring at Minooka on June 10, 2015. While determining the validity of this report, the State Climate Extremes Committee, operating within the National Centers for Environmental Information, investigated a previous report of 6" diameter hail at Kankakee on April 23, 1961. It was determined that this measurement could not be reasonably validated or verified, based on synoptic weather conditions that occurred across the area on that date.

 


All reports of hail of at least 2" in diameter, broken up by county:

 

Cass County (3 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" Philadelphia May 5, 1977
2.50" 2 miles southwest of Bluff Springs June 10, 2018
2.00" 4 miles west of Ashland March 21, 1966

 

Champaign County (11 reports)
Size Location Date
4.25" Philo May 30, 2008
3.00" 2 miles northeast of Mahomet April 9, 2015
2.75" Mahomet May 6, 1961
2.75" 3 miles south of Sadorus May 18, 2000
2.75" 3 miles south of Champaign May 18, 2000
2.75" Fisher March 12, 2006
2.75" 1 mile north-northeast of Sadorus May 30, 2008
2.50" Philo May 30, 2008
2.25" 2 miles southeast of Mahomet April 9, 2015
2.00" Pesotum May 18, 2000
2.00" 2 miles east of Sadorus May 30, 2008

 

Christian County (5 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" Assumption November 17, 2013
2.50" 5 miles southeast of Morrisonville May 7, 2023
2.00" 2 miles southwest of Sicily April 7, 1998
2.00" 1 mile west of Morrisonville May 1, 2002
2.00" 5 miles west-southwest of Rosamond May 3, 2021

 

Clay County (4 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" Louisville September 19, 1986
2.75" Hord May 25, 1989
2.75" 5 miles south of Xenia May 3, 1996
2.50" 1 mile west of Flora April 24, 2002

 

Coles County (5 reports)

Size Location Date
2.50" Fairgrange July 9, 1992
2.50" Ashmore July 9, 1992
2.00" Mattoon November 15, 1955
2.00" Charleston May 14, 2003
2.00" 2 miles east of Oakland May 1, 2016

 

Crawford County (6 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" New Hebron May 25, 1989
2.75" Robinson July 20, 1990
2.75" 2 miles west of Palestine July 20, 1990
2.00" Robinson June 24, 1985
2.00" 5 miles south of Oblong June 26, 2006
2.00" Flat Rock June 18, 2009

 

Cumberland County (2 reports)

Size Location Date
2.50 Greenup May 11, 2014
2.00 3 miles northwest of Greenup May 11, 2014

 

De Witt County (1 report)

Size Location Date
2.75" 3 miles southwest of Clinton May 28, 2003

 

Douglas County (10 reports)

Size Location Date
4.50" Arthur April 7, 1998
4.00" 1 mile west-northwest of Tuscola May 21, 2014
3.00" Camargo May 21, 2014
2.75" Newman April 10, 1981
2.75" Hindsboro July 4, 1985
2.00" 3 miles northwest of Tuscola May 21, 2014
2.00" Camargo May 25, 1989
2.00" Newman April 19, 1996
2.00" 4 miles northwest of Tuscola May 21, 2014
2.00" 3 miles north of Hindsboro May 21, 2014

 

Edgar County (7 reports)

Size Location Date
3.00" 3 miles south of Brockton May 1, 2016
2.75" 1 mile north of Paris May 10, 2003
2.50" Chrisman July 21, 2008
2.50" Paris April 10, 2013
2.00" 2 miles south of Paris May 30, 2004
2.00" Paris April 10, 2013
2.00" Vermilion March 28, 2020

 

Effingham County (3 reports)

Size Location Date
3.00" 5 miles north of Effingham May 6, 1971
2.75" 4 miles east-northeast of Shumway November 15, 1955
2.00" Beecher City September 30, 1977

 

Fulton County (14 reports)

Size Location Date
4.00" Bernadotte April 4, 2023
3.25" 1 mile east-southeast of Table Grove April 4, 2023
3.00" 8 miles northeast of Canton June 13, 1975
3.00" St. David May 24, 2006
2.75" Cuba July 21, 2008
2.75" Fiatt July 21, 2008
2.75" Vermont April 4, 2023
2.75" Table Grove April 4, 2023
2.50" Canton April 10, 2017
2.00" Canton April 10, 2017
2.00" Blyton June 14, 1974
2.00" 1 mile east of Bryant May 24, 2006
2.00" 1 mile north of Dunfermline May 24, 2006
2.00" 4 miles east-southeast of Lewistown June 4, 2010

 

Jasper County (3 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" 2 miles east of Wheeler May 25, 1989
2.00" Newton June 24, 1985
2.00" 2 miles southeast of Newton June 21, 2009

 

Knox County (4 reports)

Size Location Date
4.50" Galesburg May 9, 1995
2.75" Altona April 13, 2006
2.00" Williamsfield April 30, 1973
2.00" Hermon June 14, 1974

 

Lawrence County (2 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" 3 miles east of Birds May 31, 1998
2.00" Sumner January 17, 2012

 

Logan County (5 reports)

Size Location Date
3.75" San Jose August 18, 2001
2.50" Mount Pulaski August 13, 2011
2.25" Logan County Airport May 9, 1995
2.00" Broadwell May 12, 2000
2.00" 2 miles south of Mount Pulaski July 26, 1978

 

Macon County (4 reports)

Size Location Date
3.50" Oreana June 22, 1960
2.25" 4 miles southeast of Niantic April 18, 1996
2.00" Decatur April 22, 1963
2.00" Warrensburg August 17, 2000

 

Marshall County (1 report)

Size Location Date
2.75" Varna April 9, 2001

 

Mason County (3 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" Manito December 8, 1991
2.75" Manito August 18, 2001
2.00" Kilbourne April 4, 2003

 

McLean County (11 reports)

Size Location Date
4.50" Stanford May 9, 2003
4.25" Hudson July 13, 2004
4.00" 2 miles northeast of Covell November 17, 2013
3.00" Normal April 16, 2006
2.75" Danvers April 3, 1974
2.75" 6 miles north of Lexington March 30, 2005
2.75" Normal November 17, 2013
2.75" 1 mile north of Towanda May 11, 2014
2.50" Danvers May 9, 2003
2.00" Colfax October 17, 1988
2.00" 2 miles south-southeast of Carlock April 16, 2006

 

Menard County (4 reports)

Size Location Date
2.50" Petersburg December 8, 1991
2.00" 4 miles north-northeast of Athens March 21, 1966
2.00" Greenview July 28, 1996
2.00" 2 miles east of Oakford April 4, 2003

 

Morgan County (7 reports)

Size Location Date
3.50" Literberry May 5, 1977
2.75" Alexander March 15, 2016
2.75" (IJX) Jacksonville Airport May 10, 2017
2.00" Jacksonville April 19, 1964
2.00" Murrayville May 11, 1975
2.00" 1 mile north-northwest of Waverly April 15, 2011
2.00" Jacksonville March 15, 2016

 

Moultrie County (1 report)

Size Location Date
2.00" Bethany April 7, 1998

 

Peoria County (9 reports)

Size Location Date
2.75" Peoria June 2, 1980
2.75" Hanna City April 10, 1981
2.75" Alta July 9, 1990
2.00" 1 mile west of Bartonville June 4, 2002
2.00" Kickapoo July 26, 2002
2.00" Norwood May 9, 2003
2.00" 1 mile west of Princeville April 13, 2006
2.00" Bellevue June 19, 2009
2.00" Princeville April 19, 2011

 

Piatt County (5 reports)

Size Location Date
4.00" Bement August 26, 2000
2.75" Monticello May 15, 2009
2.50" De Land May 28, 2019
2.00" White Heath May 21, 2014
2.00 4 miles west of Monticello May 11, 2016

 

Richland County (1 report)

Size Location Date
2.00" Olney June 24, 1985

 

Sangamon County (8 reports)

Size Location Date
3.25" Chatham May 7, 2023
3.00" 3 miles west of Loami May 30, 2008
3.00" Devereux Heights April 8, 2020
2.50" (SPI) Springfield Capital Airport April 3, 1974
2.50" 1 mile northwest of Divernon May 30, 2008
2.00" Auburn May 27, 2002
2.00" 3 miles west-southwest of Divernon August 13, 2011
2.00" Divernon May 7, 2023

 

Schuyler County (2 reports)

Size Location Date
4.50" Littleton May 12, 1998
2.75" 1 mile northwest of Rushville August 18, 1999

 

Shelby County (1 report)

Size Location Date
4.50" Cowden April 10, 2001

 

Stark County(1 report)

Size Location Date
3.00" 2 miles southeast of Castleton April 9, 2001

 

Tazewell County (10 reports)

Size Location Date
3.00" 4 miles northwest of Washington May 28, 2003
3.00" Washington August 20, 2022
2.75" Tremont December 8, 1991
2.75" Delavan May 30, 2004
2.50" 6 miles southwest of Delavan August 18, 2001
2.50" Morton May 8, 2003
2.00" Mackinaw July 26, 1978
2.00" Armington May 9, 2003
2.00" Washington May 13, 2008
2.00" Creve Coeur July 11, 2020

 

Vermilion County (19 reports)

Size Location Date
3.50" 3 miles south-southwest of Bismarck June 29, 2012
2.75" 4 miles west of Bismarck June 29, 2012
2.75" Westville May 16, 2019
2.75" Oakwood May 17, 1991
2.75" Georgetown May 18, 2000
2.75" Indianola May 18, 2000
2.75" Hoopeston March 20, 2017
2.50" 3 miles west of Hoopeston May 6, 2012
2.50" Hoopeston May 6, 2012
2.50" Rankin May 26, 2017
2.00" 4 miles northwest of Danville September 30, 1977
2.00" Rossville May 18, 2000
2.00" Allerton August 18, 2001
2.00" (DNV) Vermilion Regional Airport June 29, 2012
2.00" Hoopeston March 20, 2017
2.00" 5 miles ESE Rankin May 26, 2017
2.00" 3 miles west of Hoopeston May 26, 2017
2.00" 5 miles west of Rossville May 26, 2017
2.00" 2 miles west of Hoopeston May 26, 2017

 

Woodford County (6 reports)

Size Location Date
4.00" Secor May 30, 2004
2.75" Kappa July 13, 2004
2.50" 2 miles south of Eureka May 12, 2000
2.00" 4 miles west-northwest of Benson June 13, 1975
2.00" Metamora July 26, 1978
2.00" Minonk May 17, 1991

 

 

No occurrences of hail 2" or larger have been reported in Clark or Scott Counties since 1955.