Illinois Hail in 2026 by the Numbers: What DuPage Drivers Saw, Plus a Free Spotter Class Nov. 11
With November here and no severe hail reported in Illinois since September, the 2026 Illinois hail season is winding down. National Weather Service storm reports show how unusual this year was for Illinois, and for DuPage County in particular. If your car sat outside during one of this year’s storms, now is a good time to take a closer look. And if you want to help forecasters next spring, NWS Chicago and College of DuPage are holding a free storm spotter class in Glen Ellyn on Wednesday, November 11.
What the storm reports show
We tallied the NOAA Storm Prediction Center’s daily lists of preliminary severe hail reports. “Severe” means hail at least 1 inch in diameter, the threshold the National Weather Service uses for a severe thunderstorm. For January 1 through November 4, 2026, the reports show:
- Illinois as a whole: 579 severe hail reports, compared with 320 for all of 2025 and 441 for all of 2024.
- Bigger stones: 101 Illinois reports of hail 2 inches or larger, versus 38 in 2025 and 33 in 2024.
- DuPage County: 58 reports, more than any other Illinois county this year, compared with 8 in each of the previous two years. Cook County (46) and Will County (38) were next.
- Timing: March (221 reports) and April (155) produced most of Illinois’ total. The last reports came in September, and there have been none in October or so far in November.
- The national picture: 8,383 U.S. reports so far in 2026, compared with 8,711 for all of 2025 and 8,751 for all of 2024. Illinois stood out even though the national count was not unusually high.
One caution: these are preliminary local storm reports from spotters, the public and emergency officials. A single storm can produce dozens of them, so the counts show how often large hail was observed, not how many storms there were.
March 10 and a new state record
The biggest day came on March 10, when the Storm Prediction Center had issued a rare Level 4 out of 5 severe weather risk. According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the storms produced at least 126 severe hail reports, more than 30 of them over 3 inches, and the hail caused substantial damage to homes, buildings and vehicles.
- A new Illinois record. A hailstone collected by a family in Kankakee measured 6.6 inches across and weighed 19.65 ounces, according to NCEI. It was officially confirmed in August 2026 as the state record, replacing a 4.75-inch stone that fell near Minooka in June 2015.
- Close to home. NWS Chicago says another supercell dropped hail of 2 to locally 4 inches across Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Westmont, Darien and neighboring communities. The largest stone reported in that area measured 4.8 inches in Darien.
- Not the only DuPage day. Storm reports also show 1- to 2.5-inch hail around midday on July 27 in and near Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Oak Brook, Westmont, Lisle and Glen Ellyn, and one Hinsdale report noted hail-damaged vehicles. Smaller rounds of 1- to 1.75-inch hail hit the Naperville, Lisle and Oak Brook areas late on March 29, and quarter-size hail was reported west of Naperville on August 9.
The bigger picture
Hail was a big story beyond Illinois, too. In its third-quarter 2026 Global Catastrophe Recap, published October 26, the risk firm Aon reported that severe convective storms, the thunderstorms that bring hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, remained the costliest natural hazard worldwide this year. Aon added that 2026 already ranks among the five costliest years for these storms globally.
Learn to spot and report hail: free class Nov. 11
NWS Chicago is teaming up with College of DuPage meteorology students on an in-person storm spotter course taught with National Weather Service materials. NWS Chicago says its spotter classes are free, last about two hours and are open to the public.
- When: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Central.
- Where: College of DuPage Culinary and Hospitality Center (CNC) Amphitheater, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn.
- Why it matters: Spotters send forecasters ground truth such as hail size, wind speed and local damage. As NWS Chicago puts it, “Real-time reports are critical in issuing warnings and saving lives.”
What this means for you
Here’s our take: hail dents are easy to miss, especially on light-colored cars and on panels you rarely see up close. If your car was parked outside during one of this year’s storms, a few minutes of checking now can tell you where you stand before winter.
- Look under the right light. Shallow hail dents tend to hide on the roof, hood and trunk lid. Look along each panel at an angle in soft daylight or under a garage light, and watch for spots where the reflection bends or ripples.
- Check the paint, not just the dent. From our side of the shop: when the paint is not cracked or chipped, many hail dents are candidates for paintless dent repair. If the paint is broken, the panel usually needs paint work as well. Our guide on when hail damage needs paint work explains the difference.
- Take dated photos. Photograph each damaged panel, in good light, before any repair. Clear photos make it easier to talk through options, and our look at auto claims and deductibles in 2026 covers what drivers are weighing when they file.
- Don’t assume it’s too late. Dents from a spring or summer storm can still be evaluated now. See how soon you should fix hail damage for what to consider.
- Plan ahead for next season. When storms are in the forecast, covered parking is the simplest protection. Following NWS Chicago warnings, or becoming a spotter yourself, helps everyone get more notice.
Our team at EZ Tech Paintless Dent Removal & Collision is happy to look at any dents or scrapes and walk you through your options. This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Sources: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, “Severe Weather Event Summaries” (daily filtered hail reports for 2024, 2025 and January 1 to November 4, 2026), including the “March 10, 2026” and “July 27, 2026” reports, and “SPC FAQ”; NWS Chicago, “March 10, 2026 Severe Weather” and “Seminar/Webinar Schedule”; NOAA NCEI State Climate Extremes Committee, “Illinois Hailstone Record” (September 1, 2026); Aon, “Q3 2026 Global Catastrophe Recap” (October 26, 2026). Report counts tallied by EZ Tech from SPC data. Accessed November 5, 2026.
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