Naperville hail storm history
DuPage County·NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database·~75-day publication lag
Naperville, located in DuPage County, has experienced 2 documented hail events of 1 inch or larger over the past 10 years, with 1 event meeting the significant damage threshold of 1.5 inches or greater. The western and southern suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area, where Naperville sits, face greater hail risk than lakeshore communities because Lake Michigan's moderating influence weakens inland and storm systems can intensify along lake-breeze boundaries.
Hail risk in Naperville peaks from April through June, when atmospheric conditions favor severe thunderstorm development across the Chicago region. Secondary risk periods occur in March and July. The largest recorded hail event in DuPage County—1.5 inches, measured at ping pong ball size on August 16, 2025—demonstrates that significant hail capable of functional roof damage can occur outside peak season, though such events remain infrequent.
Annual frequency — last 10 years
When hail hits — monthly pattern
Avg events per month · all years · NOAA data
All recorded hail events
Of 120 recorded events, 25 (21%) reached 1.5" or larger — the threshold for likely functional damage on standard asphalt shingles.
A photo shared on social media showed quarter size hail next to a ruler.
An NWS employee observed 1 hail in Downers Grove.
Hail approximately 1.5 in diameter was reported out of Winfield via Cocorahs. It was remarked that t…
Photos shared on social media showed hail ranging from penny to quarter size.
Quarter size hail was reported near Oakton Street and Dodge Avenue.
Multiple reports of hail ranging from a half inch to one inch were received from northeast Chicago, …
A photo was shared on social media of quarter size hail.
Quarter size hail was reported near Route 53 and Roosevelt Road.
A trained spotter reported several minutes of nickel size hail in Franklin Park which ended as quart…
Multiple reports of golf ball to baseball size hail were received from Evanston.
Quarter size hail was reported near Route 34 and Eola Road.
Hail 1.5 inches in diameter was reported at Bridgeview fire station #2.
Quarter size hail was reported in Summit.
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported.
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported.
Nickle to quarter size hail was reported via mPing.
Hail near Buena Park.
Hail at Illinois Rt. 59 and Batavia Rd.
Quarter size hail was reported in Lincoln Park.
Naperville's 10-year hail event count of 2 is based on NOAA Storm Events Database records, which rely on trained spotters, emergency managers, and trained volunteers. Event reporting density varies by county and year; smaller hail events may go unrecorded if they occur in rural areas or between trained observation points. DuPage County's moderate contractor market means post-storm repair capacity can become limited during widespread damage events, creating conditions where out-of-area contractors and storm chasers enter the local market. Current-year data is excluded from the annual frequency table until October, when NOAA's Storm Events Database has processed the full hail season accounting for the standard 75-day reporting lag.
NOAA Storm Events Database source