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In this section, the most active severe weather days in the NWS Chicago forecast area are ranked by number of reports of each specific hazard. 

 

Severe weather can be broken up into three categories, as defined below: 

  Tornado (EF Scale) Damaging Wind Gust (More info) Hail Diameter
All Report Any Rating Any Speed >= 58 mph Any Size >=1"
Significant Report F/EF2, F/EF3, F/EF4, F/EF5 >= 75 mph >= 2"
Non-Significant Report F/EFU, F/EF0, F/EF/1 < 75 mph

< 2"

 

Page last updated: May 12, 2022

Period of Record: 1950 - 2020

Find any errors or have questions? Email nws.chicago@noaa.gov

Tornadoes

Tornadoes

Rank Date Count
1 6/30/2014 22
2 8/10/2020 15
- 6/22/2016 15
3 5/18/2000 13
4 4/21/1967 12
5 4/20/2004 11
- 5/30/2003 11
- 6/20/1974 11
6 8/9/2021 10
- 6/5/2010 10
- 6/30/1977 10
7 6/22/2015 9
8 11/17/2013 8
- 6/7/2008 8
9 4/9/2015 7
- 3/12/1976 7
- 4/6/1972 7
10 2/28/2017 6
- 5/22/2011 6
- 8/4/2008 6
- 5/30/2004 6
- 5/8/1988 6
- 9/26/1959 6

Significant Tornadoes

Rank Date Count
1 4/21/1967 6
2 3/12/1976 5
3 6/7/2008 4
- 11/12/1965 4
4 11/17/2013 3
- 6/5/2010 3
- 4/6/1972 3
- 4/11/1965 3
- 4/30/1962 3
5 2/28/2017 2
- 6/22/2016 2
- 6/22/2015 2
- 6/30/2014 2
- 4/20/2004 2
- 6/25/1978 2
- 6/30/1977 2
- 4/23/1976 2
- 6/9/1966 2
- 5/26/1965 2
- 9/26/1959 2
- 8/23/1956 2
- 3/5/1956 2
- 6/1/1954 2

Damaging Winds

Damaging Winds

Rank Date Count
1 8/10/2020 171
2 8/23/2007 99
3 8/4/2008 98
4 6/18/2010 91
5 7/11/2011 86
6 6/23/2010 81
7 6/21/2011 74
8 8/11/2021 63
9 7/29/2021 62
10 6/19/2009 57

Significant Winds

Rank Date Count
1 8/10/2020 77
2 6/21/2011 32
3 6/23/2010 24
4 8/23/2007 22
5 6/30/2014 15
- 7/11/2011 15
- 8/4/2008 15
6 5/23/2019 14
- 6/24/2013 14
7 6/4/2011 13
8 7/1/2012 11
- 6/18/2010 11
9 11/17/2013 10
10 6/12/2013 9

 


Damaging Hail

Damaging Hail

Rank Date Count
1 4/7/2020 36
- 7/17/2003 36
2 5/20/2014 33
3 8/1/2003 31
4 4/12/2014 28
- 6/12/2013 28
- 3/30/2005 28
- 5/18/2000 28
5 8/2/2015 24
6 10/2/2006 22
7 5/16/2019 21
- 4/5/2010 21
8 9/7/2021 19
- 6/8/2015 19
9 5/2/2018 18
- 8/13/2011 18
- 4/14/2006 18
10 6/28/2012 17
- 4/26/1994 17

Significant Hail

Rank Date Count
1 4/7/2020 5
- 5/2/2018 5
- 5/20/2014 5
- 6/30/2011 5
- 7/17/2003 5
2 4/15/1992 4
3 7/13/2015 3
- 6/10/2015 3
- 4/12/2014 3
- 7/13/2004 3
- 6/20/1981 3
- 6/7/1980 3
4 8/13/2011 2
- 4/13/2006 2
- 5/19/2005 2
- 5/12/1998 2
- 5/5/1997 2
- 4/23/1961 2
- 6/8/1958 2

 


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