A Hailstone From Tuesday’s Storm Might Be Illinois’ Biggest Ever
The hailstone might not only be the largest hailstone in Illinois state history, it may very well shatter the previous record set back in 2015.
After Tuesday night’s powerful storms rolled through northern Illinois, meteorologists are now looking closely at one remarkable piece of evidence left behind: a giant hailstone that may be the biggest ever recorded in the state.
The massive hailstone reportedly measured about 5.25 inches in diameter, according to storm chasers who documented the storm near the Kankakee area. If that measurement is confirmed by the National Weather Service and the state’s climate records committee, it would become the largest hailstone ever recorded in Illinois history.
The current Illinois record dates back to 2015, when a hailstone measuring 4.75 inches across fell in Minooka in June of that year. Tuesday’s storm system appears to have easily topped that size, producing hailstones in the 5-to-6 inch range in some areas.
That's Enormous When You Consider That Hailstones Are Generally A Lot Smaller
Meteorologists often compare large hail to everyday objects, like pea-sized, marble-sized, golf-ball-sized, or baseball-sized. But stones over five inches wide are getting into truly rare territory.
The Illinois storm was part of a powerful Midwest weather outbreak that spawned tornadoes, damaging winds, and widespread severe weather across multiple states.
Even if the Illinois hailstone is confirmed as a state record, it still has a long way to go to match the biggest hailstones ever recorded in the United States.
If Big Hailstones Are Going To Fall, It Usually Happens In The Midwest
Here are some of the largest hailstones in US history:
1. Vivian, South Dakota (2010): 8.0 inches in diameter, weighing about 1.94 pounds (the largest and heaviest hailstone ever recorded in the U.S.).
2. Aurora, Nebraska (2003): 7.0 inches in diameter and about 18.75 inches in circumference.
3. Coffeyville, Kansas (1970): A hailstone weighing 1.67 pounds, once held the US weight record.
4. Wausau, Wisconsin (1921): A massive hailstone measuring about 5.7 inches across.
5. Kankakee area, Illinois (2026): Possibly 5.25 inches, pending official verification.
Whether it officially breaks the record or not, the Kankakee hailstone is a reminder of just how powerful severe thunderstorms can be. When updrafts inside a storm are strong enough, hailstones can repeatedly cycle through the cloud, growing layer by layer until gravity finally wins and they crash to the ground. Sometimes with record-breaking results.