HailHistory › Hail by county › Illinois › Kankakee County
Illinois · county FIPS 17091
Hail history for Kankakee County, IL
Kankakee County has 138 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 93 of them 1″ or larger and 17 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 6.6″ (grapefruit) on March 10, 2026.
Mark size = measured hail diameter; slivers are events with no recorded size. Amber ≥2″, red ≥2.75″ (baseball class). Denser recent decades partly reflect better reporting, not only more storms.
When it hails in Kankakee County
Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Kankakee County's peak: May.
Most recent recorded events
| Date | Size | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5″ | Grapefruit | |
| 6.0″ | Grapefruit | |
| 6.1″ | Grapefruit | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.75″ | Golf ball | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 6.6″ | Grapefruit | |
| 5.2″ | Grapefruit |
Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Kankakee County.
From the storm reports
Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).
· 6.6″ (grapefruit)
A hailstone measuring 6.6 inches in diameter (168.05 mm to be precise) was found along Calista St on the west side of Kankakee. Faculty from Northern Illinois University partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety to verify the dimensions of the stone. It weighed in at 557.2 grams, or 19.65 ounces. As of this writing, the hailstone is being considered for the official Illinois state record.
· 4.5″ (grapefruit)
About a dozen hail reports from around Bourbonnais, Bradley, and Kankakee largely ranged between 2 and 4.5 inches in diameter. Numerous houses sustained window, roofing, and siding damage. Numerous vehicles also sustained significant damage from the hail.
· 3.5″ (softball)
A few hail reports from north and northwest of Buckingham ranged in size from 2.5 to 3.5 inches in diameter.
Events by decade
| 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 43 | 33 | 26 |
The climb across decades is largely a reporting story: spotter networks, radar, and digital filing pulled far more storms into the record after the 1990s.
Questions about hail in Kankakee County
Has it ever hailed in Kankakee County?
Yes — 138 hail events have been recorded for Kankakee County, IL in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1960, including 93 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.
When did it last hail in Kankakee County?
The most recent recorded hail event for Kankakee County, IL is March 10, 2026, with 4.5″ (grapefruit) hail. The database is currently updated through April 2026, so a storm from the last few weeks may not appear yet. To check a specific day, use the did-it-hail date lookup.
What is the largest hail ever recorded in Kankakee County?
6.6″ (grapefruit), recorded on March 10, 2026. Hail that size is destructive-class and typically damages roofs, vehicles, and siding. See how big that really is on the actual-size hail chart.
Does a recorded hail event mean my roof was damaged?
No. This page reports storm records, not damage. Hail size and damage vary block by block within a county, and only an inspection can establish what happened to a specific roof. If you suspect damage, talk to your insurer or a licensed roofer — they can pull the same NOAA records for your claim.
More Illinois hail history
- Cook County 643
- Will County 359
- St. Clair County 319
- Sangamon County 314
- Madison County 310
- DuPage County 255
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain, updated monthly by NCEI — this site's copy runs through April 2026. HailHistory reports records; it does not give insurance advice or assess damage.