Hail History

Hail history for Alton, Illinois

NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Alton since 1961, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.

Readout · Alton

Last hail
May 3, 2026
1.00 in, quarter size
Hail days, last 5 years
2
since Nov 3, 2021 · 5 reports
Largest ever
2.00 in
hen egg · Apr 27, 2026

31 reports on 26 days since 1961 · #46 of 378 Illinois places

Hail map · Alton

Alton Godfrey Wood River Bethalto Edwardsville Granite City Glen Carbon 5 mi
  • Under 1 in
  • 1–1.75 in
  • 1.75–2.5 in
  • 2.5–4 in
  • 4 in +
  • No size
31 most recent reports with a location; Madison County is shaded. Open street map

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What the record says about Alton

The latest hail report in and around Alton is from May 3, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 2 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on April 27, 2026.

Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Alton logged 15 reports on 14 hail days, about 0.8 reports a year. That is 50% more than the median Illinois town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #46 of 378 Illinois cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Alton accounts for 10% of the 325 reports filed in Madison County.

3% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 4% for the median Illinois town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 2.00 in (hen egg) on April 27, 2026 near 0.88 SW Forest Homes.

Reports were down 93% in 2016–2025 (1) compared with 2006–2015 (14). The busiest year was 2026, with 5 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in April (35% of reports); 58% fall between April and June.

Reports a year 2006–2025 average

  • Alton 0.8
  • Madison County 10.4
  • Median Illinois town on this site 0.5

Hail days 2006–2025

  • Alton 14
  • Madison County 95
  • Median Illinois town on this site 8

Share 2 in or larger of sized reports

  • Alton 3%
  • Madison County 5%
  • Median Illinois town on this site 4%

Hail over time

0246 1961: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 1970 1976: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 1977: 1 reports, largest 1.50 in 1980: 2 reports, largest 1.75 in 1980 1990 1997: 1 reports, largest 1.75 in 2000: 1 reports, largest 1.75 in 2000 2001: 2 reports, largest 1.75 in 2002: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2005: 1 reports, largest 0.88 in 2006: 3 reports, largest 0.88 in 2007: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2008: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2009: 3 reports, largest 0.88 in 2010 2011: 3 reports, largest 1.75 in 2012: 2 reports, largest 1.25 in 2013: 1 reports, largest 0.88 in 2016: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2020 2026: 5 reports, largest 2.00 in
Reports per year, 1961–2026. Bar colour shows the largest hail that year. Reporting grew sharply after the mid-1990s, so early decades undercount.
051015 Jan Feb March: 4 reports (13%) Mar April: 11 reports (35%) Apr May: 5 reports (16%) May June: 2 reports (6%) Jun July: 4 reports (13%) Jul August: 3 reports (10%) Aug September: 1 reports (3%) Sep October: 1 reports (3%) Oct Nov Dec
All 31 reports by calendar month.
Reports per month, 2017–2026. Darker cells had more reports.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026 32 5
2025 0
2024 0
2023 0
2022 0
2021 0
2020 0
2019 0
2018 0
2017 0

Hail days since Nov 3, 2021

DateReportsLargestStorm page
May 3, 2026 2 1.75 in —
Apr 27, 2026 3 2.00 in —

Largest hail on record

Largest hail reports in Alton
Date Size Location County Time · source
Apr 27, 2026 2.00 inhen egg 0.88 SW Forest Homes Madison 17:56 local · NCEI
May 3, 2026 1.75 ingolf ball 0.88 NW Milton Madison 21:58 local · NCEI
Apr 27, 2026 1.75 ingolf ball 1.08 E Alton Madison 17:50 local · NCEI
May 10, 2011 1.75 ingolf ball 0.77 NNW Alton Madison 11:27 local · NCEI
Jul 17, 2001 1.75 ingolf ball Alton Madison 19:00 local · NCEI

Size of every report

Most recent reports

Most recent hail reports in Alton
Date Size Location County Time · source
May 3, 2026 1.00 inquarter 0.69 S Upper Alton Madison 21:58 local · NCEI
May 3, 2026 1.75 ingolf ball 0.88 NW Milton Madison 21:58 local · NCEI
Apr 27, 2026 1.00 inquarter 0.88 NW Milton Madison 17:59 local · NCEI
Apr 27, 2026 2.00 inhen egg 0.88 SW Forest Homes Madison 17:56 local · NCEI
Apr 27, 2026 1.75 ingolf ball 1.08 E Alton Madison 17:50 local · NCEI
Oct 19, 2016 0.75 inpenny 1.05 WSW Alton Madison 23:10 local · NCEI
Apr 15, 2013 0.88 innickel 1.11 E Fairmont Madison 23:20 local · NCEI
May 28, 2012 1.00 inquarter 0.8 SW Alton Madison 23:48 local · NCEI
Mar 2, 2012 1.25 inhalf dollar Alton Madison 06:10 local · NCEI
Jun 25, 2011 1.00 inquarter 0.7 SW Alton Madison 22:05 local · NCEI
May 10, 2011 1.75 ingolf ball 0.77 NNW Alton Madison 11:27 local · NCEI
Apr 19, 2011 1.00 inquarter Alton Madison 18:10 local · NCEI

Hail history near Alton

Questions about hail in Alton

How often does it hail in Alton, Illinois?

31 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Alton since 1961. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.8 reports a year. That ranks #46 of 378 Illinois places by number of reports.

When is hail season in Alton?

Most reports come in April, May, March. April alone accounts for 35% of all reports.

What is the largest hail recorded in Alton?

2.00 in (hen egg size) on April 27, 2026 near 0.88 SW Forest Homes. 3% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.

When did it last hail in Alton?

The most recent report in this data is from May 3, 2026 (1.00 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.

How many hail storms has Alton had in the last five years?

2 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 5 reports. The most recent was May 3, 2026.

Where does this hail data come from?

Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.