Peoria is not hail alley, but it is not exempt either — the area averages about 5 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.
Peoria's Storm-Climate Context
Peoria sits in central Illinois where Prairie-state severe weather produces hail and thunderstorm activity from April through September, averaging 5 hail days per year. The city's position along the Illinois River valley creates micro-climate conditions that focus severe storm cells, and the area experienced an F4 tornado in 1956 and periodic EF2 events in surrounding Peoria County more recently. Winter snow loads averaging 24 inches annually stress aging roof decks.
Caterpillar Inc.'s headquarters anchors Peoria's industrial economy, providing a stable tax base and middle-class homeownership market. Illinois requires roofing contractors to be registered with the state, creating a somewhat more regulated environment than many Sun Belt markets, though enforcement of licensing remains inconsistent across smaller jurisdictions.
Hail Events Near Peoria by Date
August 13, 2026 — 1 report, hail up to 1.00″ (quarter size)
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0433 | 1.00″ | 1 NE Alta, Peoria County | 9.6 mi |
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 9.6 miles from Peoria's center.
View these 1 report on a map
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 Peoria's Reports
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 1 Peoria-area report (filed in Peoria County) against that scale: 1 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
- Do a ground-level walk-around. Hail is rare enough around Peoria that most homeowners never think to check — look for granules collecting at downspouts, dented gutters or screens, and battered plants after the August 13, 2026 report above. Stay off the roof itself.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring the written scope to the adjuster. Full walkthrough in the roof insurance claim guide.
Hail History in Peoria — the 10-Year Picture
NOAA's 10-year archive shows 95 hail events in Peoria's county — roughly 10 per year — with hail up to 2.50″. For comparison, the last 90 days alone brought 1 hail day within 25 miles of Peoria (this page's window). Peoria averages roughly 5 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 Peoria roofer if a recent event tips you into a replacement. Check your own address on the hail risk lookup.
Compared to the Illinois county median of 57 hail events over 10 years, Peoria's county runs 1.7× above average — an exposure level that pushes local insurers toward higher wind-and-hail premium tiers and makes impact-resistant shingles a cost-effective upgrade.
Peoria's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)
| Year | Recorded hail events | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 1.00″ |
| 2023 | 24 | 1.75″ |
| 2022 | 4 | 1.00″ |
| 2021 | 2 | 1.00″ |
| 2020 largest stone | 7 | 2.50″ |
| 2019 | 9 | 1.25″ |
| 2018 | 5 | 1.75″ |
| 2017 busiest | 26 | 1.75″ |
| 2016 | 10 | 1.75″ |
NOAA Storm Events archive, Peoria's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.
The county's busiest hail year in the archive was 2017 (26 recorded events), while the largest stone on record — 2.50″ — fell in 2020. If your roof predates 2017 and has never had a documented inspection, assume it has taken at least one unexamined hit.
Hail in Peoria — Questions Homeowners Ask
Check Your Own ZIP in Peoria
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 — Peoria ZIP codes include 61602, 61603, 61604, 61605, 61614.
Peoria Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area
Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Moss-Bradley, Richwoods, Bartonville, Dunlap, Peoria Heights or West Bluff, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from Peoria's center is listed for each report.
More Resources
Roofing contractors in Peoria · Storm damage repair in Peoria · Insurance claim guide · Roof replacement costs in Peoria · Emergency roof repair