Hail history for Lake County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Lake County since 1963, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Lake County
- Last hail
- Aug 9, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 12
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 37 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · Jul 18, 1967
187 reports on 86 days since 1963 · #20 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Lake County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
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What the record says about Lake County
The latest hail report in Lake County is from August 9, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 12 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on May 15, 2025.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Lake County logged 117 reports on 44 hail days, about 5.8 reports a year. That is about twice the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #20 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Lake County holds 2% 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 2.75 in (baseball) on July 18, 1967.
Reports held about level in 2016–2025 (62) compared with 2006–2015 (55). The busiest year was 2003, with 18 reports on 7 days. Hail here peaks in April (30% of reports); 64% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Lake County 5.8
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Lake County 44
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Lake County 5%
- Median Illinois county 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 9 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2017 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | View |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 15, 2025 | 6 | 2.00 in | — |
| Aug 27, 2024 | 4 | 1.25 in | — |
| Aug 5, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 15, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 20, 2023 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 4, 2023 | 9 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jan 3, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 3, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 23, 2022 | 7 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 22, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 1967 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | 15:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 17, 2003 | 2.50 intennis ball | Fox Lake | 15:45 local · NCEI |
| May 2, 2018 | 2.25 inhen egg | Lake Villa | 20:31 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 2.00 inhen egg | Winthrop Harbor | 17:54 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 2.00 inhen egg | 2.16 WNW Gurnee | 17:41 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 70 37%
- 1–2 in 107 57%
- 2 in + 10 5%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Vernon Hills | 04:03 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.06 SE Wauconda | 11:21 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 2.00 inhen egg | Winthrop Harbor | 17:54 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.15 WNW Zion | 17:49 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.47 NNE Waukegan | 17:44 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 2.00 inhen egg | 2.16 WNW Gurnee | 17:41 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Gurnee | 17:40 local · NCEI |
| May 15, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.02 W Waukegan | 17:40 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Sylvan Lake | 17:42 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | Lake Zurich | 17:30 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Vernon Hills | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 SE Indian Creek | 17:24 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Lake County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Lindenhurst | 14 | 2.25 in |
| Waukegan | 14 | 1.75 in |
| Mundelein | 11 | 1.75 in |
| Buffalo Grove | 10 | 1.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grayslake | 9 | 7 | Jul 23, 2022 |
| Lake Zurich | 9 | 7 | Aug 27, 2024 |
| Vernon Hills | 9 | 8 | Aug 9, 2026 |
| Antioch | 8 | 8 | Jun 1, 2019 |
| Libertyville | 8 | 6 | Apr 10, 2017 |
| Round Lake | 8 | 7 | Jul 23, 2022 |
| Fox Lake | 7 | 5 | Apr 10, 2017 |
| Highland Park | 7 | 5 | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Zion | 7 | 5 | May 15, 2025 |
| Deerfield | 5 | 4 | Apr 4, 2023 |
| Lake Villa | 5 | 4 | Jul 22, 2022 |
| Lincolnshire | 5 | 5 | Apr 4, 2023 |
| Long Grove | 5 | 5 | Apr 20, 2023 |
| Wauconda | 5 | 5 | Jun 19, 2017 |
| Wadsworth | 4 | 4 | Jun 8, 2015 |
| Hawthorn Woods | 3 | 3 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Kildeer | 3 | 3 | Apr 20, 2023 |
| North Chicago | 3 | 3 | Apr 14, 2006 |
| Winthrop Harbor | 3 | 3 | May 15, 2025 |
| Gurnee | 2 | 2 | May 15, 2025 |
| Lake Bluff | 2 | 2 | Mar 21, 2007 |
| Lake Forest | 2 | 2 | May 18, 2000 |
| North Barrington | 2 | 2 | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Riverwoods | 2 | 1 | Apr 4, 2023 |
| Round Lake Beach | 2 | 2 | Jul 23, 2022 |
| Bannockburn | 1 | 1 | Apr 4, 2023 |
| Fox Lake Hills | 1 | 1 | Jun 8, 2009 |
| Fox River Grove | 1 | 1 | May 12, 1998 |
| Gages Lake | 1 | 1 | Oct 23, 2001 |
| Park City | 1 | 1 | Jul 23, 2022 |
| Round Lake Heights | 1 | 1 | Aug 30, 2013 |
| Third Lake | 1 | 1 | Aug 30, 2013 |
| Volo | 1 | 1 | Apr 10, 2017 |
Questions about hail in Lake County
How often does it hail in Lake County, Illinois?
187 hail reports have been logged in Lake County since 1963. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 5.8 reports a year. That ranks #20 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Lake County?
Most reports come in April, May, July. April alone accounts for 30% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Lake County?
2.75 in (baseball size) on July 18, 1967. 5% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Lake County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 9, 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 Lake County had in the last five years?
12 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 37 reports. The most recent was August 9, 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.