How big was the hail on April 17, 2026?

The maximum estimated stone size anywhere in Illinois that day was 1.50 inches. Sizes vary street to street inside a single swath, so a city's figure is the largest radar estimated anywhere within about 5 miles of it.

Does this mean roofs were damaged?

Radar measures stone size, not damage. Whether a particular roof was damaged depends on stone size, wind direction, roof age and material — only an inspection settles it. These figures tell you where it is worth looking.

How do I see the actual swath on a map?

A HailMate plan puts the whole of Illinois on a real interactive map with this swath and three years of others already on it. $79/mo, and the canvassing tools come with it.

Illinois · April 17, 2026

Illinois hail map — April 17, 2026

Name: Illinois hail map — April 17, 2026
Creator: HailMate

NOAA radar detected hail of an inch or more over 2 Illinois cities on April 17, 2026. The largest stones — 1.50″, half dollar size — fell over Freeport.

Hail swath map for Freeport, IL on April 17, 2026 showing 1.50 inch hail. — Swath over Freeport on April 17, 2026 — 1.50″ hail. Each city below has its own map for this storm.

Cities hit: 2; in Illinois
Largest stone: 1.50″; half dollar size
Impact rating: 5/10; from stone size

Sizes come from NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), which runs about ±0.25″ against ground truth. It is canvass-targeting quality, not claim evidence.

Roofing contractors

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HailMate's canvassing map: hail swaths colour-banded by stone size, from yellow through red to purple, laid over a satellite view of a Texas territory, with hail swath and territory controls.

All of Illinois at street level, with this storm already on it
Three years of hail swaths, filterable by stone size
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Homeowners

Did hail hit your address?

This page covers Illinois as a whole. Check your own address to see every storm on record for your roof — the date and the stone size for each one — and we'll email you the full report to keep.

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Illinois cities hit on April 17, 2026

Freeport, IL1.50″ · half dollar Machesney Park, IL1.00″ · quarter

What people on the ground measured in Illinois on April 17, 2026

12 reports filed with the National Weather Service — 3 from trained spotters or officials. These are measured stones, not radar estimates, so they are the closest thing to proof that hail actually reached the ground.

3.00″ baseball size Public
2 W Dakota, IL4:24 PM CDTStephenson County
Report from mPING: Tea Cup (3.00 in.).
2.75″ baseball size Public
Dakota, IL4:45 PM CDTStephenson County
report from LOT on Dakota storm.. they received a photo of baseball size hail..
2.25″ hen egg size Public
2 NE Lake Summerset, IL4:41 PM CDTWinnebago County
Time estimated by radar. Relayed via mping.
2.25″ hen egg size Public
1 SE Durand, IL4:44 PM CDTWinnebago County
Hen egg size hail south of Durand. Relayed via mping.
2.00″ hen egg size Public
2 NNW Pecatonica, IL4:38 PM CDTWinnebago County
Photo shows hail estimated as approximately 2 inches in diameter near Pecatonica. Location estimated, relayed by broadcast media. Time estimated by radar.
2.00″ hen egg size NWS Employee
2 NNE Davis, IL4:40 PM CDTStephenson County
2.00″ hen egg size Trained Spotter
Ipava, IL5:16 PM CDTFulton County
2.00″ hen egg size Public
Toulon, IL6:25 PM CDTStark County
photo shared on social media.
2.00″ hen egg size Broadcast Media
Toulon, IL7:29 PM CDTStark County
Hail measured just shy of 2.25 inches.
1.75″ golf ball size Trained Spotter
1 S Rice, IL2:55 PM CDTJo Daviess County
1.75″ golf ball size Public
2 S Galena Territory, IL2:57 PM CDTJo Daviess County
Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.).
1.75″ golf ball size Public
2 S Galena Territory, IL2:57 PM CDTJo Daviess County
Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.).

Showing the 12 largest of 50 hail reports filed that day.

Reports come from the National Weather Service Local Storm Report feed, ingested every 15 minutes. A report records where the observer was, not the full extent of the swath — treat it as evidence about the storm, not about any one roof.

Other states hit on April 17, 2026

Oklahoma2 cities · 2.00″Wisconsin2 cities · 1.50″Kansas3 cities · 1.00″Missouri4 cities · 1.00″Iowa1 city · 1.00″Minnesota2 cities · 1.00″

The full US hail map for April 17, 2026 →

Other Illinois hail days

August 13, 20263 cities · 1.00″August 11, 20263 cities · 1.00″August 9, 202640 cities · 1.50″July 27, 2026127 cities · 2.00″July 10, 20262 cities · 1.00″July 4, 20261 city · 1.50″July 3, 202618 cities · 1.00″July 2, 202614 cities · 1.00″June 24, 202614 cities · 1.50″June 17, 20264 cities · 2.00″June 11, 20261 city · 1.00″June 10, 202614 cities · 1.00″

Every hail day across Illinois →

FAQ

Illinois hail on April 17, 2026

NOAA radar put hail of an inch or more over 2 Illinois cities that day. The largest stones — 1.50 inches, half dollar size — were over Freeport. Every city hit is listed above with its own stone size.

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