Hail history for Knox County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Knox County since 1967, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Knox County
- Last hail
- Aug 15, 2024
- 0.75 in, penny size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 8
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 8 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.50 in
- softball · May 9, 1995
114 reports on 80 days since 1967 · #41 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Knox 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 Knox County is from August 15, 2024. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Knox County
The latest hail report in Knox County is from August 15, 2024, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 8 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on June 25, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Knox County logged 81 reports on 52 hail days, about 4.0 reports a year. That is 56% more than the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #41 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Knox County holds 1% 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 4.50 in (softball) on May 9, 1995 near Galesburg.
Reports were down 24% in 2016–2025 (35) compared with 2006–2015 (46). The busiest year was 2017, with 14 reports on 6 days. Hail here peaks in May (25% of reports); 61% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Knox County 4.0
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Knox County 52
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Knox 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 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| May 2, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Feb 22, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 1, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1995 | 4.50 insoftball | Galesburg | 16:45 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2006 | 2.75 inbaseball | Altona | 21:45 local · NCEI |
| Jun 14, 1974 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | 16:45 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 1973 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | 19:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Altona | 18:53 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 46 40%
- 1–2 in 64 56%
- 2 in + 4 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.48 SSE Knoxville | 21:58 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Altona | 18:53 local · NCEI |
| May 2, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.14 NNW Rapatee | 15:44 local · NCEI |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 4.64 N Centerville | 20:20 local · NCEI |
| Feb 22, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | Yates City | 02:15 local · NCEI |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | Galesburg | 15:38 local · NCEI |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 3 NW Henderson | 14:41 local · NCEI |
| Aug 1, 2022 | 0.88 innickel | Altona | 00:55 local · NCEI |
| Nov 10, 2020 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.48 NNW Galesburg | 14:35 local · NCEI |
| Apr 8, 2020 | 1.00 inquarter | Galesburg | 14:59 local · NCEI |
| Apr 7, 2020 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.74 N Galesburg | 22:01 local · NCEI |
| Sep 27, 2019 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Abingdon | 17:42 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Knox County
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altona | 8 | 6 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| Knoxville | 7 | 7 | Aug 15, 2024 |
| Oak Run | 6 | 6 | Apr 28, 2014 |
| Rio | 6 | 5 | May 13, 2018 |
| Henderson | 4 | 4 | Mar 31, 2023 |
| Yates City | 4 | 4 | Feb 22, 2024 |
| Gilson | 3 | 3 | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Maquon | 3 | 3 | May 2, 2024 |
| Oneida | 3 | 3 | Nov 22, 2010 |
| Victoria | 2 | 2 | May 6, 2012 |
| Wataga | 2 | 2 | Apr 3, 2014 |
| Williamsfield | 2 | 2 | Mar 30, 2005 |
| East Galesburg | 1 | 1 | May 24, 2019 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 1 | May 30, 2004 |
Questions about hail in Knox County
How often does it hail in Knox County, Illinois?
114 hail reports have been logged in Knox County since 1967. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.0 reports a year. That ranks #41 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Knox County?
Most reports come in May, June, April. May alone accounts for 25% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Knox County?
4.50 in (softball size) on May 9, 1995 near Galesburg. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Knox County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 15, 2024 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Knox County had in the last five years?
8 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 8 reports. The most recent was August 15, 2024.
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.