Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 270 hail storms within 25 miles of Arlington Heights, IL. Of those, 266 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was baseball-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 130 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Arlington Heights| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 2 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 25 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 63 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 176 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 4 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 130 events |
| 2025 | 28 events |
| 2024 | 21 events |
| 2023 | 72 events |
| 2022 | 19 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Arlington Heights, with 130 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Arlington Heights typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | Vernon Hills, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reports quarter size hail ongoing in Vernon Hills. |
| 2026-08-09 | 2 W Naperville, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-09 | 1 N Naperville, IL | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-09 | 2 W Naperville, IL | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-07-28 | Oak Brook, IL | Destructive | 2.00" | Photo shared on social media showing a hailstone roughly two inches in diameter. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 NW Roselle, IL | Significant | 1.25" | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 ENE Carol Stream, IL | Severe | 1.75" | Quarter size hail in Carol Stream. Location approximate. |
| 2026-07-27 | 3 W York Center, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | Downers Grove, IL | Severe | 1.75" | Photo shared on social media of golf ball size hail. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 SW York Center, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 E Glendale Heights, IL | Severe | 1.50" | Relayed via mping. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 NW Lisle, IL | Severe | 1.50" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 S Hanover Park, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of quarter size hail relayed via mping. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 W Medinah, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 NNE Indian Head Park, IL | Significant | 1.25" | Photo shared on social media of quarter to half dollar size hail in La Grange Highlands. |
| 2026-07-27 | Oak Brook, IL | Severe | 1.75" | Public report of golf ball size hail in Oak Brook. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | Clarendon Hills, IL | Destructive | 2.00" | Trained spotter reported 2 inch diameter hail in Clarendon Hills. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | Oak Brook, IL | Destructive | 2.00" | Photo shared on social media showing a hailstone roughly two inches in diameter. |
| 2026-07-27 | Elmhurst, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 WNW Westmont, IL | Destructive | 2.50" | — |
NOAA has recorded 500 high-wind events within 25 miles of Arlington Heights, IL in the past five years. Of those, 497 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 89 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 168 events |
| Significant | 329 events |
| Moderate | 3 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-11 | 3 SE Batavia, IL | 89 | Severe | Private weather station: KILAUROR58. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NNW Warrenville, IL | 80 | Severe | A corridor of destructive winds impacted Warrenville and a portion of Lisle during the derecho on August 11. Extensive tree damage occurred in Blackwell Forest Preserve, Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, and Danada Forest Preserve with snapped and uprooted trees. In addition, extensive tree damage occurred throughout Warrenville including the snapping and uprooting of trees ranging in size from 1 to 3 feet in diameter. Several trees fell on homes causing structure damage, as well. Based on video footage and witness reports, the damage was most likely caused by straight line winds in excess of 80 mph on the southern side of a radar-indicated rotation path. Thank you to emergency management partners in Warrenville and DuPage County Forest Preserve for their help in this report. |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 NE Navy Pier, IL | 60 | Significant | Mesonet station CHII2 Harrison-Dever Crib. Peak gust of 52.1 kt before data loss. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 WNW Westmont, IL | 55 | Significant | Private weather station: KILDOWNE102. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 SSE South Barrington, IL | 81 | Severe | Private weather station. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 NE Bensenville, IL | 62 | Significant | ASOS site ORD Chicago Ohare Airport reported 62 mph peak gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | Midway Airport, IL | 74 | Severe | — |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 N Oakbrook Terrace, IL | 72 | Severe | — |
| 2026-07-27 | Lakeview - Chicago, IL | 62 | Significant | Private weather station KILCHICA1037 reported 62 mph gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | Lakeview - Chicago, IL | 63 | Significant | Private weather station KILCHICA1231 reported 63 mph gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | North Park - Chicago, IL | 59 | Significant | Private weather station KILCHICA929 reported 59 mph gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 SSE South Barrington, IL | 55 | Significant | Private weather station KILHOFFM60 reported 55 mph gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 N West Dundee, IL | 54 | Significant | Private weather station KILCARPE8 reported 54 mph gust. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 SW Beach Park, IL | 82 | Severe | The KUGN ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 82 mph at 3:43pm out of the northeast. Extensive damage was noted around Waukegan including snapped and uprooted trees. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 SSE Lake Bluff, IL | 55 | Significant | Private weather station reported 55 mph gust near Lake Forest Cemetery. |
| 2026-07-27 | Waukegan, IL | 55 | Significant | Measured at the Waukegan Airport. |
| 2026-07-04 | 3 SE Batavia, IL | 54 | Significant | Private weather station KILAUROR58 reported a 54 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-07-04 | Westchester, IL | 60 | Significant | Measured at PWS WESTC57. |
| 2026-07-03 | Batavia, IL | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 NE Montrose Harbor, IL | 57 | Significant | Mesonet station XMTB Montrose Beach Light. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Arlington Heights was on August 10, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Arlington Heights averages roughly 54 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 266 of the 270 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Arlington Heights in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Arlington Heights-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in IL cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Arlington Heights. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Arlington Heights took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationArlington Heights sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.