Chicago, Illinois Hail Report and Map: March 31, 2026
Was there hail in Chicago, IL on March 31, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.16 inches inside the town limits of Chicago on March 31, 2026 (Eastern time). Radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch covered 7% of the town. Across the report area, the maximum radar estimate was 1.9 inches. The strongest part of the swath was about 13 miles west of Chicago, IL. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 11:00 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. CT on March 30, 2026.
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Hail estimates at a glance
| Storm date (Eastern time) | March 31, 2026 (Tuesday) |
|---|---|
| Maximum radar estimate across the area | 1.9 inches; strongest part of the swath about 13 miles west of Chicago, IL |
| Maximum radar estimate inside Chicago | 1.16 inches |
| Share of Chicago with radar estimates of at least 0.5 inch | 7% |
| Approximate radar timing | Between about 11:00 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. CT on March 30, 2026 (Central time) |
| County coverage includes (0.5 inch or larger) | Cook County (74 sq mi), DuPage County (40 sq mi) and Lake County (7 sq mi) |
| Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger | about 130 square miles |
| Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger | about 36 square miles |
| Source | NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) |
Which towns had hail on March 31, 2026?
Radar estimated hail of at least 0.5 inch inside these town limits, using U.S. Census boundaries. Each percentage is the share of town area with those estimates.
| Town | County | Maximum radar estimate inside town limits | Town area with estimates of at least 0.5 inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Springs, IL | Cook County | 1.9 inches | 97% |
| Hinsdale, IL | DuPage County | 1.87 inches | 89% |
| La Grange, IL | Cook County | 1.74 inches | 100% |
| Oak Brook, IL | DuPage County | 1.61 inches | 100% |
| La Grange Park, IL | Cook County | 1.58 inches | 90% |
| Downers Grove, IL | DuPage County | 1.44 inches | 43% |
| Brookfield, IL | Cook County | 1.43 inches | 100% |
| Westmont, IL | DuPage County | 1.39 inches | 56% |
| Oakbrook Terrace, IL | DuPage County | 1.37 inches | 100% |
| Lombard, IL | DuPage County | 1.33 inches | 36% |
| Clarendon Hills, IL | DuPage County | 1.31 inches | 91% |
| McCook, IL | 1.28 inches | 96% | |
| Countryside, IL | Cook County | 1.2 inches | 32% |
| Summit, IL | Cook County | 1.18 inches | 100% |
| Lyons, IL | Cook County | 1.18 inches | 100% |
| Chicago, IL | Cook County | 1.16 inches | 7% |
| Forest View, IL | Cook County | 1.16 inches | 100% |
| Riverside, IL | Cook County | 1.12 inches | 96% |
| Westchester, IL | Cook County | 1.09 inches | 72% |
| East Chicago, IN | Lake County | 1.03 inches | 31% |
| Berwyn, IL | Cook County | 1.02 inches | 32% |
| Stickney, IL | Cook County | 1.02 inches | 100% |
| Burr Ridge, IL | DuPage County | 0.96 inch | 12% |
| Elmhurst, IL | DuPage County | 0.92 inch | 42% |
| Villa Park, IL | DuPage County | 0.85 inch | 70% |
| Hillside, IL | Cook County | 0.85 inch | 50% |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | Cook County | 0.78 inch | 90% |
| Worth, IL | Cook County | 0.78 inch | 79% |
| Whiting, IN | Lake County | 0.78 inch | 42% |
How big was the hail in Chicago?
Radar estimated hail up to 1.16 inches inside the town limits of Chicago. Among the listed towns, the highest estimate was 1.9 inches inside the limits of Western Springs. The maximum estimates in Berwyn, Elmhurst and Lombard were 1.33 inches or less. A town's maximum isn't an estimate for every home. Check the swath for estimates around an address.
Towns near the hail
The strongest part of the swath was within 15 miles of these towns. Distances and directions run from each town to that part of the swath.
- Cicero, IL: strongest radar estimates about 8 miles west of town
- Oak Park, IL: strongest radar estimates about 8 miles southwest of town
- Melrose Park, IL: strongest radar estimates about 7 miles south of town
- Maywood, IL: strongest radar estimates about 6 miles southwest of town
- Darien, IL: strongest radar estimates about 6 miles northeast of town
- Bellwood, IL: strongest radar estimates about 5 miles south of town
- Bridgeview, IL: strongest radar estimates about 6 miles northwest of town
- Forest Park, IL: strongest radar estimates about 6 miles southwest of town
What time did radar detect hail?
Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 11:00 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. CT on March 30, 2026. We used 40 NOAA radar hail detections in this area to estimate the window. We trim outlying detection times when enough are available, then round down to five-minute marks. It doesn't give an arrival time at an address.
This report shares at least one town with the report for March 30, 2026. Storm dates run from midnight to midnight Eastern time, so a late-evening storm farther west can appear under two dates. See the Aurora, IL report for March 30, 2026.
Data source and limits
We use NOAA's MRMS radar product MESH (Maximum Estimated Size of Hail) for hail-size estimates. Each town's figure is the maximum inside its Census town limits. The percentage is the town area with estimates of at least 0.5 inch. A town's maximum isn't an estimate for every home. Each storm date covers one calendar day in Eastern time. A late-evening storm west of the Eastern time zone can appear under two dates. Radar estimates don't confirm hail on the ground or roof damage. Hail of 0.5 to 0.75 inch can damage roofs, especially older roofs. An estimate below 1 inch doesn't rule out damage. Read how we calculate sizes and times.