Hail history for Franklin County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Franklin County since 1955, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Franklin County
- Last hail
- Apr 27, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 14 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · Feb 28, 2017
116 reports on 84 days since 1955 · #39 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Franklin 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 Franklin County is from April 27, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Franklin County
The latest hail report in Franklin County is from April 27, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on May 8, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Franklin County logged 76 reports on 50 hail days, about 3.8 reports a year. That is 46% more than the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #39 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Franklin County holds 1% of all 12,418 hail reports in Illinois.
5% 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 3.00 in (teacup) on February 28, 2017 near 1 W Benton.
Reports were down 45% in 2016–2025 (27) compared with 2006–2015 (49). The busiest year was 2012, with 15 reports on 5 days. Hail here peaks in April (22% of reports); 57% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Franklin County 3.8
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Franklin County 50
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Franklin County 5%
- Median Illinois county 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Sep 14, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 16, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 8, 2024 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Feb 10, 2024 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| May 7, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2017 | 3.00 inteacup | 1 W Benton | 21:00 local · NCEI |
| Mar 5, 1955 | 3.00 inteacup | — | 15:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 1990 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 16:25 local · NCEI |
| Mar 12, 2020 | 2.00 inhen egg | Royalton | 13:07 local · NCEI |
| Apr 15, 2011 | 2.00 inhen egg | Zeigler | 16:59 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 45 39%
- 1–2 in 65 56%
- 2 in + 6 5%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 NNW Macedonia | 08:55 local · NCEI |
| Apr 27, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 W Christopher | 07:59 local · NCEI |
| Sep 14, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.34 WSW Benton Muni Arpt | 15:44 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.88 NE Royalton | 17:12 local · NCEI |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.88 NW Cleburne | 16:09 local · NCEI |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | Zeigler | 16:08 local · NCEI |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.76 SW Sesser | 15:28 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.87 SSE Mulkeytown | 11:44 local · NCEI |
| Feb 10, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | Benton | 01:18 local · NCEI |
| Feb 10, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | Christopher | 01:09 local · NCEI |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | West Frankfort | 15:22 local · NCEI |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 3 S Benton | 18:13 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Franklin County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| West Frankfort | 26 | 2.00 in |
| Sesser | 20 | 2.50 in |
| Benton | 13 | 1.75 in |
| Zeigler | 10 | 2.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher | 9 | 9 | Apr 27, 2026 |
| Royalton | 6 | 6 | May 16, 2025 |
| Mulkeytown | 5 | 5 | May 8, 2024 |
| Thompsonville | 5 | 5 | Sep 4, 2017 |
| North City | 4 | 4 | Apr 9, 2021 |
| Valier | 4 | 4 | Jul 1, 2012 |
| Ewing | 3 | 3 | Jul 1, 2012 |
| West City | 3 | 3 | Sep 14, 2025 |
| Buckner | 2 | 2 | Sep 26, 2009 |
| Macedonia | 2 | 2 | Apr 27, 2026 |
Questions about hail in Franklin County
How often does it hail in Franklin County, Illinois?
116 hail reports have been logged in Franklin County since 1955. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 3.8 reports a year. That ranks #39 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Franklin County?
Most reports come in April, June, May. April alone accounts for 22% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Franklin County?
3.00 in (teacup size) on February 28, 2017 near 1 W Benton. 5% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Franklin County?
The most recent report in this data is from April 27, 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 Franklin County had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 14 reports. The most recent was April 27, 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.