Lightning TrackerChicago storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Chicago, IL, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Chicago, IL
Checking the National Weather Service…
Storm outlook, next 48 hours
Loading forecast…
Severe weather in Chicago by the numbers
Chicago gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,160 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 206 hail reports, 906 damaging-wind reports and 48 tornado reports. On average that is 13.6 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 69% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 24 hail reports, 126 wind reports and 12 tornado reports around Chicago; the largest hail was 4.80″ (grapefruit) on Mar 10, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Chicago
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 19 mi S · Lake Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi SE · Cook Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Tornado | 21 mi S · Cook Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi NW · Cook Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 2 mi NE · Cook Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi W · Cook Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Tornado | 18 mi SW · Cook Co. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 20 mi S · Cook Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi N · Cook Co. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 12 mi N · Cook Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Chicago
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Chicago
Chicago averages 4.9 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 4.80 inches — about the size of a grapefruit — reported 18 miles from the city centre on Mar 10, 2026. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Chicago
There have been 48 tornado reports within 25 miles of Chicago since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Mar 19, 2025, 23 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Chicago on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Chicago
Questions about storms in Chicago
Does Chicago get a lot of severe storms?
Chicago averages 13.6 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Chicago?
Most severe-weather reports around Chicago come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Chicago?
4.80 inches (grapefruit size) on Mar 10, 2026, 18 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Chicago?
Yes — 48 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Mar 19, 2025.
How do I get storm alerts for Chicago?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Chicago, IL. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Chicago, IL. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Sep 29, 2026.