Hail Reports in Kenosha, Wisconsin — Last 90 Days

Kenosha is not hail alley, but it is not exempt either — the area averages about 4 hail-producing storms a year. When a cell does track over the county, the reports below tell you the date, the stone size, and how close it came.

Kenosha's Storm-Climate Context

Kenosha sits on Lake Michigan's western shore in Wisconsin, where lake-effect snow and brutal cold test roofs every winter. Average annual snowfall reaches 36.2 inches, and the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard alone dumped 23.2 inches in a single event -- the kind of snow load that stresses decking, collapses gutters, and forces emergency calls. The record low of -31 F in January 1985 drives deep freeze-thaw cycling that cracks flashing and lifts shingles, while the record high of 105 F in July 2012 accelerates UV-driven granule loss on south-facing slopes. Recurring hail days add to cumulative wear, and wind off the lake creates uplift pressure along ridges and rake edges throughout storm season.

Kenosha, with 99,986 residents per the 2020 census, is Wisconsin's fourth-largest city, anchored by the world headquarters of Snap-on Tools and Jockey International. Amazon, Uline, and Rustoleum also operate major distribution facilities here. The city's position in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor drives steady commercial construction and warehouse roofing demand, while a strong residential housing market sustains roofing activity from both new builds and buyer-driven repairs.

Hail Events Near Kenosha by Date

August 9, 2026 — 1 report, hail up to 1.00″ (quarter size)

July 27, 2026 — 5 reports, hail up to 1.25″ (quarter size) Largest in 90 days

Preliminary Local Storm Reports from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sizes are reported hailstone diameters; times are UTC. Reports can be added or corrected for about a day after each event. A quiet page section ≠ no hail — smaller or unreported events happen. The closest report in this window landed 1.1 miles from Kenosha's center.

Circle positions are the NOAA SPC report coordinates; tap a circle for the date and hail size.

Hail size: < 1″ 1–1.75″ ≥ 2″ not recorded

How Severe Was It? The NWS Yardstick, Applied to Kenosha's Reports

The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 6 Kenosha-area reports (filed in Kenosha, Lake, Racine Counties) against that scale: 6 of them met the severe 1″+ criterion — the size at which asphalt shingles start taking granule loss and bruising that shows up as leaks a season later. Damage at these sizes is rarely visible from the ground but is typically covered by homeowners insurance when documented promptly.

What to Do If Your Roof Was in the Hail Path

1. Do a ground-level walk-around. Hail is rare enough around Kenosha that most homeowners never think to check — look for granules collecting at downspouts, dented gutters or screens, and battered plants after the August 9, 2026 reports above. Stay off the roof itself.
2. Photograph anything suspicious with dates. Even minor-looking marks matter later: this NOAA log plus dated photos connect the damage to a covered storm event instead of "gradual wear", which insurers exclude.
3. Book a free inspection rather than guessing. Bruised shingles and granule loss are invisible from the ground; a written scope from a local roofer settles whether there is a claim at all.
4. Only involve the insurer once you know the scope. If the inspection finds nothing, you have lost nothing; if it finds damage, file within your policy's window while the event date is easy to prove.
5. Bring the written scope to the adjuster. Full walkthrough in the roof insurance claim guide.

Hail History in Kenosha — the 10-Year Picture

NOAA's 10-year archive shows 11 hail events in Kenosha's county — roughly 1 per year — with hail up to 2.90″. For comparison, the last 90 days alone brought 2 hail days within 25 miles of Kenosha (this page's window). Kenosha averages roughly 4 hail-producing storms per year. In a market with repeat hail, impact-resistant Class 4 shingles often pay for themselves through insurer premium discounts — worth discussing with a Kenosha roofer if a recent event tips you into a replacement. Check your own address on the hail risk lookup.

Kenosha's county logged fewer hail events than the Wisconsin median (24 per county over 10 years), placing it on the lower end of the state's hail exposure spectrum — though individual storm cells can still produce damaging hail regardless of the long-term average.

Kenosha's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)

NOAA Storm Events archive, Kenosha's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.

The county's busiest hail year in the archive was 2017 (3 recorded events), while the largest stone on record — 2.90″ — fell in 2018. If your roof predates 2017 and has never had a documented inspection, assume it has taken at least one unexamined hit.

Hail in Kenosha — Questions Homeowners Ask

Check Your Own ZIP in Kenosha

The county-level history above averages over the whole area. For a score tied to your address, run your ZIP through the hail risk lookup — Kenosha ZIP codes include 53144, 53101, 53164, 53132, 53117.

Kenosha Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area

Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Kenosha downtown, South Shore, Racine Avenue, Merrillville or Hartford-Hebron, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from Kenosha's center is listed for each report.

More Resources

Roofing contractors in Kenosha · Storm damage repair in Kenosha · Insurance claim guide · Roof replacement costs in Kenosha · Emergency roof repair