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 72 hail storms within 25 miles of Zion, IL. Of those, 68 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 egg-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 20 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Zion| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 3 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 13 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 52 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 4 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 events |
| 2025 | 16 events |
| 2024 | 10 events |
| 2023 | 20 events |
| 2022 | 12 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Zion, with 20 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Zion 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. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 SE Wauconda, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Relayed via mping. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | Eagle Lake, WI | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 NE Bristol, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Delayed report: Via social media quarter in hail reported between the interstate and CTH D on Hwy 50. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 NW Kenosha, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.) Time confirmed from radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 2 SW Kenosha, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.) Time confirmed from radar. |
| 2026-07-27 | 4 NE Pleasant Prairie, WI | Significant | 1.25" | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). Time confirmed from radar. |
| 2026-04-21 | 2 SE Elmwood Park, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-04-21 | ELMWOOD PARK, WI | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-31 | 1 WNW Elmwood Park, WI | Moderate | 0.50" | Trained spotter report of 0.5 inch hail in western Racine. |
| 2026-03-11 | 3 SE Bohners Lake, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-03-11 | 2 N Elmwood Park, WI | Significant | 1.00" | Trained Spotter reports half to one inch sized hail. |
| 2026-03-10 | NEW MUNSTER, WI | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-10 | ELMWOOD PARK, WI | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-08-16 | PORT BARRINGTON, IL | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2025-05-15 | WAUKEGAN, IL | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2025-05-15 | ZION, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-05-15 | WINTHROP HARBOR, IL | Destructive | 2.00" | Multiple reports of hail up to 2 inches in diameter were received. |
| 2025-05-15 | GURNEE, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-05-15 | WAUKEGAN, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
NOAA has recorded 133 high-wind events within 25 miles of Zion, IL in the past five years. Of those, 132 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 90 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 37 events |
| Significant | 95 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 ENE Prospect Heights, IL | 61 | Significant | Peak wind gust of 53 kt. |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 WSW Wheeling, IL | 60 | Significant | Personal weather station peak wind gust of 59.8 mph. |
| 2026-07-03 | 2 SSE Eagle Lake, WI | 65 | Severe | Private Weather Station. |
| 2026-07-03 | 3 N Pleasant Prairie, WI | 58 | Significant | ASOS measure 50 kts. |
| 2026-06-28 | 1 SE Wheeling, IL | 45 | Moderate | Measured at KPWK. |
| 2026-06-11 | GRAYSLAKE, IL | 58 | Significant | A large tree limb was blown down onto a car. |
| 2026-06-11 | LINDENHURST, IL | 58 | Significant | Large tree limbs were blown down. |
| 2026-06-11 | LAKE BARRINGTON, IL | 63 | Significant | A tree fell onto power lines. |
| 2026-06-11 | LIBERTYVILLE, IL | 63 | Significant | A tree was blown down onto Route 176. |
| 2026-06-11 | 2 SE Green Oaks, IL | 62 | Significant | Peak gust measured on private weather station. |
| 2026-06-11 | WAUKEGAN, IL | 58 | Significant | A tree limb fell onto a power line, which fell onto Ridgeland Avenue near Pine Street. |
| 2026-06-11 | RONDOUT, IL | 62 | Significant | A personal weather station measured a wind gust to 62 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | 2 WSW North Bay, WI | 54 | Significant | Racine airport. |
| 2026-06-11 | KENOSHA AIRPORT, WI | 64 | Severe | Storm chaser reports several large downed tree branches on 136th Avenue in the city of Kenosha. Wind gust estimated from radar data and damage. |
| 2026-06-10 | ANTIOCH, IL | 69 | Severe | Siding was ripped off of buildings and small tree limbs were blown down. |
| 2026-06-10 | FOX LAKE HILLS, IL | 63 | Significant | A pine tree was blown onto power lines. |
| 2026-06-10 | JOHNSBURG, IL | 58 | Significant | Multiple large tree limbs were broken. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Zion was on August 10, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Zion averages roughly 14 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 68 of the 72 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Zion in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Zion-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 Zion. 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 Zion 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 ValidationZion 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.