Hail history for Winnebago County, Illinois
Every NOAA hail report filed in Winnebago County since 1960, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Winnebago County
- Last hail
- Aug 21, 2026
- 0.75 in, penny size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 15
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 36 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · Apr 7, 2020
217 reports on 118 days since 1960 · #14 of 103 Illinois counties
Hail map · Winnebago 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 Winnebago County is from August 21, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Winnebago County
The latest hail report in Winnebago County is from August 21, 2026, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 15 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.25 in on April 17, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Winnebago County logged 145 reports on 67 hail days, about 7.3 reports a year. That is 2.8 times the median Illinois county (2.6 a year) and ranks #14 of 103 Illinois counties for all-time reports. Winnebago County holds 2% of all 12,418 hail reports in Illinois.
7% 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 April 7, 2020 near Winnebago.
Reports were down 29% in 2016–2025 (60) compared with 2006–2015 (85). The busiest year was 2020, with 20 reports on 4 days. Hail here peaks in April (32% of reports); 65% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Winnebago County 7.3
- Median Illinois county 2.6
Hail days 2006–2025
- Winnebago County 67
- Median Illinois county 34
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Winnebago County 7%
- Median Illinois county 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 12 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 20 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | View |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 6 | 2.25 in | — |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 10, 2025 | 6 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 16, 2025 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 4, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Feb 27, 2024 | 1 | 1.50 in | — |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 29, 2023 | 4 | 2.00 in | — |
| Apr 20, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 4, 2023 | 4 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 13, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 30, 2022 | 2 | 1.50 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2020 | 3.00 inteacup | Winnebago | 18:12 local · NCEI |
| May 2, 2018 | 3.00 inteacup | 1 S Rockford | 17:08 local · NCEI |
| Jun 7, 1980 | 3.00 inteacup | — | 07:54 local · NCEI |
| Aug 28, 1990 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 13:10 local · NCEI |
| Jun 7, 1980 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 08:03 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 64 29%
- 1–2 in 137 63%
- 2 in + 16 7%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | 0.75 inpenny | 2 N Machesney Park | 20:56 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 N Machesney Park | 20:55 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.86 NW South Beloit | 16:14 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.64 WNW Rockton | 16:06 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 2.25 inhen egg | 1.72 WSW Durand | 15:43 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.29 NE Durand | 15:43 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 2.25 inhen egg | 1.47 NNE Lake Summerset | 15:41 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 2.13 NNW Pecatonica | 15:38 local · NCEI |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.35 SSE Wempleton | 19:27 local · NCEI |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.51 W Winnebago | 19:20 local · NCEI |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Pecatonica | 19:45 local · NCEI |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Lake Summerset | 18:54 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Winnebago County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Rockford | 114 | 3.00 in |
| Machesney Park | 13 | 1.75 in |
| Winnebago | 13 | 3.00 in |
| Pecatonica | 12 | 2.00 in |
| Lake Summerset | 11 | 2.75 in |
| Roscoe | 11 | 1.75 in |
| Rockton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Valley | 9 | 9 | May 16, 2025 |
| Loves Park | 8 | 7 | Jul 10, 2025 |
| Durand | 4 | 4 | Apr 17, 2026 |
| South Beloit | 4 | 4 | Apr 17, 2026 |
| Westlake Village | 3 | 3 | May 4, 2024 |
| New Milford | 1 | 1 | Apr 7, 2020 |
Questions about hail in Winnebago County
How often does it hail in Winnebago County, Illinois?
217 hail reports have been logged in Winnebago County since 1960. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 7.3 reports a year. That ranks #14 of 103 Illinois counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Winnebago County?
Most reports come in April, May, June. April alone accounts for 32% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Winnebago County?
3.00 in (teacup size) on April 7, 2020 near Winnebago. 7% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Winnebago County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 21, 2026 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Winnebago County had in the last five years?
15 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 36 reports. The most recent was August 21, 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.