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 292 hail storms within 25 miles of Joliet, IL. Of those, 285 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 163 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Joliet| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 5 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 32 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 71 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 177 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 7 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 163 events |
| 2025 | 15 events |
| 2024 | 53 events |
| 2023 | 59 events |
| 2022 | 2 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Joliet, with 163 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Joliet 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-09 | 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.). |
| 2026-08-09 | 3 W Naperville, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 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 SW Minooka, IL | Severe | 1.50" | Public report of ping pong ball size hail near Range Road and Brannick Road. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 SE Minooka, IL | Destructive | 2.00" | Public report of hen egg size hail near Minooka. Time estimated by radar. Relayed via mping. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 S Carbon Hill, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | Park Forest, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Pea to Quarter sized hail. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 W Frankfort, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of quarter size hail on the west side of Frankfort. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 S Shorewood, IL | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2026-07-27 | 4 W Shorewood, IL | Significant | 1.25" | Relayed via mping. |
| 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 | 4 SW Plainfield, IL | Severe | 1.75" | Reports of golf ball size hail near Caton Farm Road and County Line Road. Relayed via amateur radio. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 SW Crystal Lawns, IL | Significant | 1.25" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 N Shorewood, IL | Destructive | 2.25" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 WSW Shorewood, IL | Catastrophic | 3.00" | Photo shows hail stone at least 3 inches in diameter that fell near Four Seasons Park in Shorewood. Hail stone was collected and frozen 2 minutes after it fell. Multiple other hail stones golf ball size. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 NW Lisle, IL | Severe | 1.50" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
NOAA has recorded 500 high-wind events within 25 miles of Joliet, IL in the past five years. Of those, 499 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 97 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 2 events |
| Severe | 217 events |
| Significant | 280 events |
| Minor | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | 2 NNW Shorewood, IL | 64 | Severe | Measured wind gust of 64.2 mph on an Ambient weather station. The gusts appear well calibrated surrounding the period of time during the storm, and radar data supported wind gusts in excess of 60 mph. |
| 2026-08-11 | Coal City, IL | 70 | Severe | Private weather station: KILCOALC4. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NNE Wilmington, IL | 61 | Significant | weather station at midewin tallgrass prairie. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 W Braidwood, IL | 70 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-11 | Peotone, IL | 87 | Severe | Peak wind gust of 87 mph. Secondary sensor reported a wind gust of 78 mph prior to power loss. Widespread tree damage reported as well. |
| 2026-08-11 | Frankfort, IL | 75 | Severe | Sustained winds estimated 55 mph with gusts in excess of 75 mph. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NNW Shorewood, IL | 96 | Destructive | Private weather station. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 SE Sugar Grove, IL | 97 | Destructive | Home weather station measured a 97 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NW Plainfield, IL | 88 | Severe | Second personal weather station measured an 88 mph wind gust in Plainfield. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 SE Yorkville, IL | 64 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 SE Batavia, IL | 89 | Severe | Private weather station: KILAUROR58. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NW Plainfield, IL | 85 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 ENE Oswego, IL | 65 | Severe | Private weather station: 0.9 SSE Oswego. |
| 2026-08-11 | NWS Chicago-Romeoville, IL | 58 | Significant | Peak wind gust of 58 mph measured by Davis weather station at NWS Chicago office. Severe gusts lasted for 5 to 10 minutes as the storm moved overhead. There are numerous small branches down in the vicinity of the office. |
| 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 | 2 NW Plainfield, IL | 62 | Significant | Private weather station: 2.3 NW Plainfield. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 SSE Plainfield, IL | 80 | Severe | Received 1.59 inches of rain so far. Power out with tree and siding damage to homes. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 N Lemont, IL | 70 | Severe | Peak wind gust of 70 mph measured by sonic anemometer at a height of 10m. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 WNW Westmont, IL | 55 | Significant | Private weather station: KILDOWNE102. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 W Oak Lawn, IL | 70 | Severe | — |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Joliet was on August 9, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Joliet averages roughly 58 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 285 of the 292 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Joliet in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Joliet-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 Joliet. 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 Joliet 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 ValidationJoliet 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.