Hail Near Evanston, Illinois: August 11, 2026

Published October 15, 2026 by StormLens · Storm date (Eastern time) August 11, 2026

Was there hail near Evanston, IL on August 11, 2026? Radar estimated hail up to 1.69 inches about 14 miles northeast of Evanston, IL on August 11, 2026 (Eastern time). Use the map to check the swath against Evanston's town limits. Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 3:40 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. CT on August 11, 2026.

Radar-estimated hail swath near Evanston, IL on August 11, 2026; colors show estimated hail sizes

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Hail estimates at a glance

Storm date (Eastern time)	August 11, 2026 (Tuesday)
Maximum radar estimate across the area	1.69 inches; strongest part of the swath about 14 miles northeast of Evanston, IL
Approximate radar timing	Between about 3:40 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. CT on August 11, 2026 (Central time)
Area with radar estimates of 0.5 inch or larger	about 310 square miles
Area with radar estimates of 1 inch or larger	about 68 square miles
Source	NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH)

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.

Highland Park, IL: strongest radar estimates about 12 miles east of town
Wilmette, IL: strongest radar estimates about 13 miles northeast of town
Lake Forest, IL: strongest radar estimates about 14 miles east of town
Deerfield, IL: strongest radar estimates about 15 miles east of town
Winnetka, IL: strongest radar estimates about 12 miles northeast of town

What time did radar detect hail?

Radar detected hail aloft in this area between about 3:40 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. CT on August 11, 2026. We used 52 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.

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.