Hail history for Ford County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Ford County since 1978, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Ford County
- Last hail
- May 20, 2025
- 1.50 in, ping pong ball size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 2
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 4 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.50 in
- tennis ball · Jun 20, 1981
47 reports on 39 days since 1978 · #92 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Ford County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in Ford County is from May 20, 2025. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Ford County
The latest hail report in Ford County is from May 20, 2025, 1.50 in (ping pong ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 2 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.50 in on May 20, 2025.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Ford County logged 27 reports on 20 hail days, about 1.4 reports a year. That is about half the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #92 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Ford County holds 0% of all 12,418 hail reports in Illinois.
4% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 5% for the median Illinois county. The largest hail on record here is 2.50 in (tennis ball) on June 20, 1981.
Reports were down 31% in 2016–2025 (11) compared with 2006–2015 (16). The busiest year was 2017, with 4 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in May (32% of reports); 72% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Ford County 1.4
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Ford County 20
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Ford County 4%
- Median Illinois county 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| Apr 30, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1981 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 19:00 local · NCEI |
| Apr 20, 2000 | 2.00 inhen egg | Melvin | 09:00 local · NCEI |
| Jul 15, 2021 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.22 SSW Elliott | 16:21 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2017 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.69 N Sibley | 15:35 local · NCEI |
| May 21, 2014 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.53 W Gibson City | 14:41 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 12 26%
- 1–2 in 33 70%
- 2 in + 2 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 3.21 NW Clarence | 15:16 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2025 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | Paxton | 15:00 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | Paxton | 14:38 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | Piper City | 18:33 local · NCEI |
| Aug 12, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | Gibson City | 08:02 local · NCEI |
| Jul 15, 2021 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.22 SSW Elliott | 16:21 local · NCEI |
| May 9, 2018 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 4.18 NW Piper City | 17:05 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2017 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.34 NW Paxton | 16:07 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2017 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.69 N Sibley | 15:35 local · NCEI |
| Mar 20, 2017 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.87 NW Piper City | 11:06 local · NCEI |
| Mar 20, 2017 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.53 W Gibson City | 04:12 local · NCEI |
| Apr 9, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Paxton | 20:43 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Ford County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson City | 13 | 1.75 in |
| Piper City | 11 | 2.50 in |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paxton | 9 | 8 | May 20, 2025 |
| Elliott | 2 | 2 | Apr 6, 2001 |
| Melvin | 2 | 2 | Apr 20, 2000 |
| Sibley | 2 | 2 | May 26, 2017 |
| Cabery | 1 | 1 | Jul 18, 2003 |
| Roberts | 1 | 1 | May 7, 2011 |
Questions about hail in Ford County
How often does it hail in Ford County, Illinois?
47 hail reports have been logged in Ford County since 1978. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 1.4 reports a year. That ranks #92 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Ford County?
Most reports come in May, April, June. May alone accounts for 32% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Ford County?
2.50 in (tennis ball size) on June 20, 1981. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Ford County?
The most recent report in this data is from May 20, 2025 (1.50 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Ford County had in the last five years?
2 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 4 reports. The most recent was May 20, 2025.
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.