Hail history for Mercer County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Mercer County since 1959, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Mercer County
- Last hail
- Mar 10, 2026
- 1.25 in, half dollar size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 7
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 15 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.50 in
- tennis ball · Jun 14, 1974
96 reports on 56 days since 1959 · #48 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Mercer 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 Mercer County is from March 10, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Mercer County
The latest hail report in Mercer County is from March 10, 2026, 1.25 in (half dollar size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 7 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on August 17, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Mercer County logged 45 reports on 28 hail days, about 2.3 reports a year. That is 13% less than the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #48 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Mercer 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 2.50 in (tennis ball) on June 14, 1974.
Reports were down 20% in 2016–2025 (20) compared with 2006–2015 (25). The busiest year was 2003, with 13 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in April (40% of reports); 69% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Mercer County 2.3
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Mercer County 28
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Mercer County 4%
- Median Illinois county 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2 | 2 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Mar 28, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 14, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 5 | 1.00 in | — |
| Feb 27, 2024 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 3 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 20, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 1974 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 15:15 local · NCEI |
| Sep 27, 1959 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 19:15 local · NCEI |
| Jun 12, 2002 | 2.00 inhen egg | Matherville | 18:55 local · NCEI |
| Jun 14, 1974 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | 15:40 local · NCEI |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Aledo | 05:06 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 37 39%
- 1–2 in 55 57%
- 2 in + 4 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | Seaton | 16:51 local · NCEI |
| Mar 28, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 NW Viola | 02:23 local · NCEI |
| Jul 14, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.86 SE Sherrard | 20:21 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.19 WNW Norwood | 18:57 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 4.39 WSW North Henderson | 18:37 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.52 W Cable | 18:35 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.52 W Sherrard | 17:41 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 0.88 innickel | 0.52 E Aledo | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| Feb 27, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.86 NE Aledo | 17:28 local · NCEI |
| Feb 27, 2024 | 0.88 innickel | Aledo | 17:10 local · NCEI |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 0.75 inpenny | 2.5 ENE Burgess | 05:14 local · NCEI |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.52 W Aledo | 05:07 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Mercer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Boston | 9 | 6 | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Sherrard | 9 | 8 | Jul 14, 2024 |
| Alexis | 8 | 8 | Apr 16, 2024 |
| Matherville | 7 | 6 | Apr 8, 2020 |
| Keithsburg | 6 | 5 | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Viola | 5 | 5 | Mar 28, 2025 |
| North Henderson | 3 | 3 | May 13, 2008 |
| Preemption | 3 | 3 | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Alpha | 2 | 2 | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Cable | 2 | 2 | Apr 16, 2024 |
| Hamlet | 2 | 2 | May 25, 2019 |
| Joy | 2 | 2 | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Seaton | 2 | 2 | Mar 10, 2026 |
Questions about hail in Mercer County
How often does it hail in Mercer County, Illinois?
96 hail reports have been logged in Mercer County since 1959. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.3 reports a year. That ranks #48 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Mercer County?
Most reports come in April, May, June. April alone accounts for 40% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Mercer County?
2.50 in (tennis ball size) on June 14, 1974. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Mercer County?
The most recent report in this data is from March 10, 2026 (1.25 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Mercer County had in the last five years?
7 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 15 reports. The most recent was March 10, 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.