McLean County, Illinois: hail history 2014–2026
By density McLean County lands #32 of 46 in Illinois: 70.0 reports per 1,000 square miles from 83 reports. Hail reached 1 inch on 19 days and 1.75 inches on 6. Record: 2.75 inches (a baseball), May 11, 2014 near Towanda.
- 83reports
- 19days, 1 in+
- 6days, 1.75 in+
- 2.75 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: McLean County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2.75 in |
| 2015 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2016 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.88 in |
| 2018 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.25 in |
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2023 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 in |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2025 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 2.5 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
2025 was the busiest year (28 reports) and 2018 the quietest (2). McLean County averaged 8 reports a year from 2020 to 2025, 89% above the 4 of 2014 to 2019. 2026 stands at 5 through June, against a full-year average of 6. Days with 1-inch stones average 1.5 per full year.
McLean County: reports by month
| Jan | 1 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 7 |
| Apr | 15 |
| May | 33 |
| Jun | 12 |
| Jul | 6 |
| Aug | 3 |
| Sep | 2 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 1 |
| Dec | 0 |
May dominates the calendar: 33 of 83 reports, 40%. April to June alone bring 72%. 12 of 83 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 2.75 inches
Reported hail locations, McLean County
- 411 to 1.74 in
- 141.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 12.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 2.75 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
56 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineMcLean County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2014 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 3 | Towanda |
| May 15, 2025 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 26 | Normal |
| April 19, 2023 | 2 in, a hen egg | 7 | Le Roy |
| June 29, 2023 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 3 | Stanford |
| September 7, 2021 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 1 | Colfax |
| July 23, 2022 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 1 | Cropsey |
| June 8, 2015 | 1.5 in, a ping-pong ball | 6 | Carlock |
| April 21, 2016 | 1.5 in, a ping-pong ball | 1 | Bellflower |
| April 2, 2025 | 1.25 in, a half dollar | 2 | Bellflower |
| April 22, 2019 | 1.25 in, a half dollar | 1 | Hudson |
“A warm front lifted north of the area during the early morning hours, and an approaching upper low resulted in a temperature profile that was favorable for hail development.”
NWS report, April 19, 2023
“Many of the storms produced hail larger than quarters...with one cell in Douglas County dropping hailstones as large as 3.25 inches in diameter just north of Tuscola.”
NWS report, June 29, 2023
Tornadoes and wind in McLean County
20 tornadoes on record in McLean County; the strongest listed is EF2, 2.44 miles long, near Le Roy. Top gust: 96 mph near Mc Lean.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2018 | EF2 | 2.44 mi | 100 yd | Le Roy |
| June 13, 2024 | EF1 | 4.2 mi | 1300 yd | Anchor |
| June 15, 2019 | EF1 | 1.94 mi | 50 yd | Laurette |
| June 13, 2024 | EF1 | 1.27 mi | 80 yd | Ballard |
| June 13, 2024 | EF1 | 0.94 mi | 60 yd | Anchor |
| December 28, 2025 | EF1 | 0.86 mi | 30 yd | Saybrook |
| June 13, 2024 | EF1 | 0.71 mi | 60 yd | Ballard |
| June 13, 2024 | EF1 | 0.61 mi | 60 yd | Ballard |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| July 15, 2024 | 96 mph | Mc Lean |
| June 17, 2017 | 81 mph | Lexington |
| June 17, 2017 | 81 mph | Lexington |
| June 13, 2024 | 81 mph | Colfax |
| June 13, 2024 | 81 mph | Cropsey |
| June 13, 2024 | 81 mph | Chenoa |
Homes in McLean County
Median build year in McLean County: 1981. 76.3% of 75,120 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 2,261, or 30.1 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2022.
| pre-1940 | 13.6% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.5% |
| 1950s | 6.2% |
| 1960s | 9.0% |
| 1970s | 17.0% |
| 1980s | 10.0% |
| 1990s | 16.8% |
| 2000s | 16.6% |
| 2010s | 6.7% |
| 2020+ | 0.4% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 232 | 246 |
| 2015 | 220 | 368 |
| 2016 | 203 | 331 |
| 2017 | 198 | 370 |
| 2018 | 95 | 201 |
| 2019 | 115 | 192 |
| 2020 | 162 | 265 |
| 2021 | 201 | 283 |
| 2022 | 305 | 437 |
| 2023 | 159 | 215 |
| 2024 | 166 | 243 |
| 2025 | 205 | 269 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has McLean County had?
NOAA logged 83 hail reports in McLean County, Illinois, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in McLean County?
19 days, including 6 days with hail of 1.75 inches or larger. The National Weather Service calls hail of 1 inch or larger severe.
What was the largest hail reported in McLean County?
2.75 inches (a baseball), reported on May 11, 2014.
Which month has the most hail in McLean County?
May has the most reports, 40% of the 83 in the record.
Does a hail day in the record mean my roof was damaged?
A counted day only means a spotter reported hail somewhere in the area. An inspection is the only way to know whether a roof was hit.
Next steps for McLean County
McLean County cities we cover
Next to McLean County in the Illinois ranking
- Sangamon County (143 reports)
- Peoria County (116 reports)
- Will County (111 reports)
- Champaign County (106 reports)
Cite this page
Data version: NOAA Storm Events hail data, 2014 to June 2026, loaded October 6, 2026. All dataset versions. Download the table as CSV. Free to quote with credit under CC BY 4.0.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, public domain. Counts and tables on this page are free to reuse with credit to PickARoofer under CC BY 4.0.