Hail History

Hail history for Princeton, Illinois

NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Princeton since 1981, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.

Readout · Princeton

Last hail
Mar 10, 2026
1.00 in, quarter size
Hail days, last 5 years
4
since Nov 3, 2021 · 7 reports
Largest ever
3.00 in
teacup · Apr 13, 1981

33 reports on 22 days since 1981 · #43 of 378 Illinois places

Hail map · Princeton

Princeton La Moille Walnut Granville LaSalle McNabb Mendota 10 mi
  • Under 1 in
  • 1–1.75 in
  • 1.75–2.5 in
  • 2.5–4 in
  • 4 in +
  • No size
33 most recent reports with a location; Bureau County is shaded. Open street map

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What the record says about Princeton

The latest hail report in and around Princeton is from March 10, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 4 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.25 in on March 10, 2026.

Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Princeton logged 17 reports on 13 hail days, about 0.8 reports a year. That is 70% more than the median Illinois town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #43 of 378 Illinois cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Princeton accounts for 21% of the 157 reports filed in Bureau County.

12% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 4% for the median Illinois town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 3.00 in (teacup) on April 13, 1981.

Reports were down 79% in 2016–2025 (3) compared with 2006–2015 (14). The busiest year was 2006, with 6 reports on 4 days. Hail here peaks in March (27% of reports); 61% fall between April and June.

Reports a year 2006–2025 average

  • Princeton 0.8
  • Bureau County 4.8
  • Median Illinois town on this site 0.5

Hail days 2006–2025

  • Princeton 13
  • Bureau County 45
  • Median Illinois town on this site 8

Share 2 in or larger of sized reports

  • Princeton 12%
  • Bureau County 8%
  • Median Illinois town on this site 4%

Hail over time

0246 1981: 1 reports, largest 3.00 in 1987: 1 reports, largest 1.00 in 1990 1997: 3 reports, largest 1.75 in 1998: 1 reports, largest 1.75 in 1999: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2000 2003: 2 reports, largest 1.00 in 2005: 3 reports, largest 2.75 in 2006: 6 reports, largest 1.50 in 2007: 1 reports, largest 0.88 in 2008: 1 reports, largest 1.00 in 2010 2011: 2 reports, largest 1.50 in 2012: 3 reports, largest 1.00 in 2015: 1 reports, largest 0.75 in 2020 2023: 3 reports, largest 1.00 in 2026: 4 reports, largest 2.25 in
Reports per year, 1981–2026. Bar colour shows the largest hail that year. Reporting grew sharply after the mid-1990s, so early decades undercount.
0369 Jan Feb March: 9 reports (27%) Mar April: 9 reports (27%) Apr May: 9 reports (27%) May June: 2 reports (6%) Jun Jul Aug September: 1 reports (3%) Sep October: 3 reports (9%) Oct Nov Dec
All 33 reports by calendar month.
Reports per month, 2017–2026. Darker cells had more reports.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026 4 4
2025 0
2024 0
2023 12 3
2022 0
2021 0
2020 0
2019 0
2018 0
2017 0

Hail days since Nov 3, 2021

DateReportsLargestStorm page
Mar 10, 2026 4 2.25 in —
Apr 20, 2023 1 1.00 in —
Apr 19, 2023 1 1.00 in —
Mar 31, 2023 1 1.00 in —

Largest hail on record

Largest hail reports in Princeton
Date Size Location County Damage Time · source
Apr 13, 1981 3.00 inteacup — Bureau — 16:15 local · NCEI
Sep 22, 2005 2.75 inbaseball Princeton Bureau $2.0 million 17:17 local · NCEI
Mar 10, 2026 2.25 inhen egg 0.69 N Princeton Bureau — 18:07 local · NCEI
Mar 10, 2026 2.00 inhen egg 0.69 N Princeton Bureau — 17:58 local · NCEI
Jun 18, 1998 1.75 ingolf ball Princeton Bureau — 17:40 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

Most recent reports

Most recent hail reports in Princeton
Date Size Location County Time · source
Mar 10, 2026 1.00 inquarter 0.86 NE Princeton Bureau 18:22 local · NCEI
Mar 10, 2026 1.50 inping pong ball 1.04 E Princeton Bureau 18:18 local · NCEI
Mar 10, 2026 2.25 inhen egg 0.69 N Princeton Bureau 18:07 local · NCEI
Mar 10, 2026 2.00 inhen egg 0.69 N Princeton Bureau 17:58 local · NCEI
Apr 20, 2023 1.00 inquarter 1.04 E Princeton Bureau 15:48 local · NCEI
Apr 19, 2023 1.00 inquarter 3.69 W Dover Bureau 13:56 local · NCEI
Mar 31, 2023 1.00 inquarter 0.69 N Princeton Bureau 14:52 local · NCEI
May 3, 2015 0.75 inpenny 3.69 W Dover Bureau 15:58 local · NCEI
Jun 29, 2012 0.75 inpenny 2.03 N Princeton Bureau 19:26 local · NCEI
May 6, 2012 0.88 innickel 0.69 N Princeton Bureau 13:35 local · NCEI
May 6, 2012 1.00 inquarter 2.19 ENE Wyanet Bureau 13:07 local · NCEI
Apr 3, 2011 0.75 inpenny 0.69 N Princeton Bureau 21:12 local · NCEI

Hail history near Princeton

Questions about hail in Princeton

How often does it hail in Princeton, Illinois?

33 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Princeton since 1981. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.8 reports a year. That ranks #43 of 378 Illinois places by number of reports.

When is hail season in Princeton?

Most reports come in March, April, May. March alone accounts for 27% of all reports.

What is the largest hail recorded in Princeton?

3.00 in (teacup size) on April 13, 1981. 12% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.

When did it last hail in Princeton?

The most recent report in this data is from March 10, 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 Princeton had in the last five years?

4 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 7 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.