Hail & Wind Storms in Arlington Heights, IL — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Arlington Heights, Illinois or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Arlington Heights
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): August 9, 2026 — 1.00 in. reported 9.9 mi N of Arlington Heights (Vernon Hills), NWS Local Storm Report.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): August 11, 2026 — 89 mph reported 24.2 mi SW of Arlington Heights (3 SE Batavia), NWS Local Storm Report.
- 2026 so far: 8 hail days and 22 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| August 11, 2026 | — | 89 mph reported |
| August 9, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | — |
| July 28, 2026 | 2.00 in. reported | — |
| July 27, 2026 | 2.50 in. reported | 82 mph measured |
| July 4, 2026 | — | 54 mph reported |
| July 3, 2026 | — | 73 mph measured |
| July 2, 2026 | — | 66 mph reported |
| June 28, 2026 | — | 45 mph measured |
| June 24, 2026 | 1.50 in. reported | 58 mph reported |
| June 17, 2026 | — | 59 mph measured |
Was your address hit on August 11, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Arlington Heights storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 334 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Arlington Heights, Illinois or recorded for Cook County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (184 wind, 150 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Arlington Heights in the last 12 months was 89 mph, reported 24.2 mi SW of Arlington Heights (3 SE Batavia) on August 11, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The largest hail reported within 25 miles of Arlington Heights in the last 12 months was 4.80 in., 24 mi S of Arlington Heights (Darien) on March 10, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report).
- The busiest day by event count near Arlington Heights was July 27, 2026, with 73 events.
- Cook County alone recorded 200 of those wind and hail events (118 wind, 82 hail); the Illinois page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Arlington Heights, Illinois storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Arlington Heights — home to about 76,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 334 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Arlington Heights or recorded for Cook County in the trailing 12 months — 184 wind and 150 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Arlington Heights by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- July 27, 2026 — 73 events incl. warnings · 27 wind · 46 hail · storm-date page: 48 storm reports
- March 10, 2026 — 35 events incl. warnings · 1 wind · 34 hail · storm-date page: 29 storm reports
- March 30, 2026 — 26 events incl. warnings · 1 wind · 25 hail
- June 10, 2026 — 18 events incl. warnings · 17 wind · 1 hail · storm-date page: 9 storm reports
- July 3, 2026 — 17 events incl. warnings · 16 wind · 1 hail
Storm-day records for Arlington Heights
Storm-date pages for the biggest days near Arlington Heights: a report or station gust within 25 miles met NWS severe criteria (hail 1.00 in.+ or wind 58 mph+), with at least two separate observations. Not every storm day in the table above has a page. Each page lists the reports, station gusts and a free way to check one address:
- August 11, 2026 (gusts 89 mph)
- July 27, 2026 (hail 2.50 in., gusts 82 mph)
- June 10, 2026 (gusts 78 mph)
- March 10, 2026 (hail 4.80 in.)
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report within 25 miles of Arlington Heights showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Arlington Heights or recorded for Cook County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Arlington Heights or in Cook County from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
Arlington Heights hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
The National Centers for Environmental Information logged 268 storm days within 25 miles of Arlington Heights or in Cook County in this period — 2,226 NCEI Storm Events entries in all. Wind is the more common entry — 1,549 thunderstorm wind reports to 608 hail reports.
Hail peaks in April (29% of all hail reports); thunderstorm wind peaks in July. December through February accounts for 10 storm days.
Storm days ranged from 12 in 2014, 2015 and 2020 to 25 in 2011. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 19 storm days a year, above the 15-year average of 17.
The largest hail in these records for this area was 2.75 in. (baseball size), reported in 4 different years — most recently on April 7, 2020 in Cook County. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 10 different years of this record, the latest being 2025 through Oct. 6. Measured thunderstorm gusts topped out at 82 mph (DuPage County, July 1, 2012). NCEI also lists 69 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
- Average: 17 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- April and May: 47% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 73 in 2023
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 44 | 120 | 1 | 17 | 2.75 in. | 72 mph |
| 2011 | 64 | 158 | 3 | 25 | 2.75 in. | 75 mph |
| 2012 | 43 | 60 | 0 | 17 | 1.75 in. | 82 mph |
| 2013 | 45 | 52 | 0 | 19 | 2.75 in. | 69 mph |
| 2014 | 56 | 37 | 0 | 12 | 2.00 in. | 75 mph |
| 2015 | 45 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 2.50 in. | 60 mph |
| 2016 | 17 | 24 | 1 | 13 | 1.75 in. | 72 mph |
| 2017 | 50 | 27 | 0 | 20 | 1.75 in. | 78 mph |
| 2018 | 13 | 35 | 1 | 13 | 2.25 in. | 70 mph |
| 2019 | 26 | 46 | 2 | 18 | 2.00 in. | 60 mph |
| 2020 | 23 | 128 | 5 | 12 | 2.75 in. | 74 mph |
| 2021 | 10 | 148 | 3 | 17 | 1.25 in. | 74 mph |
| 2022 | 21 | 211 | 4 | 19 | 1.75 in. | 81 mph |
| 2023 | 73 | 87 | 18 | 17 | 1.75 in. | 81 mph |
| 2024 | 48 | 190 | 26 | 21 | 2.50 in. | 81 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 30 | 211 | 2 | 16 | 2.50 in. | 74 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/il/arlington-heights.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
Arlington Heights storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
What is the largest hail reported near Arlington Heights, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2.75 in., baseball size, reported in 4 different years; most recently on April 7, 2020 in Cook County, per NCEI. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 10 years of this record in all, most recently 2019, 2024 and 2025 through Oct. 6.
What was Arlington Heights's most active storm year, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2011, with 25 storm days (64 hail reports, 158 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 17 storm days.
How often does Arlington Heights get hail?
NCEI's records average 39 hail reports a year here over 2010–2024, alongside 89 thunderstorm wind reports. Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported in every one of those years.
When is hail season near Arlington Heights?
April has the most hail reports (175, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by May (111) and June (91).
How strong were measured thunderstorm winds in Arlington Heights, 2010–Oct. 2025?
82 mph, measured on July 1, 2012 in DuPage County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Arlington Heights hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Arlington Heights? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across Illinois, including the Arlington Heights metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through Cook County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Arlington Heights weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Arlington Heights address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Arlington Heights wind history and free Arlington Heights hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
Storm professionals: restoration and exterior contractors, public adjusters, and crews and teams on one Organization plan work from this same public record — see StormAuditor for professionals.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Free Arlington Heights storm data download
The Arlington Heights storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/il/arlington-heights.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Arlington Heights or recorded for Cook County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the Illinois storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
- Schaumburg hail & wind history
- Evanston hail & wind history
- Elgin hail & wind history
- Cicero hail & wind history
- Chicago hail & wind history
- Naperville hail & wind history
- Illinois statewide storm data
Guides for reading this data
Cite or link to this data — free
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Citation: StormAuditor. "Arlington Heights, IL Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated August 21, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/il/arlington-heights
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/il/arlington-heights">Arlington Heights, IL Hail & Wind Storm History — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.