Lightning TrackerElgin storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Elgin, IL, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Elgin, IL
Checking the National Weather Service…
Storm outlook, next 48 hours
Loading forecast…
Severe weather in Elgin by the numbers
Elgin sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,382 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 298 hail reports, 1,020 damaging-wind reports and 64 tornado reports. On average that is 15.3 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 68% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 25 hail reports, 81 wind reports and 6 tornado reports around Elgin; the largest hail was 2.50″ (tennis ball) on Jul 27, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Elgin
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 18 mi W · De Kalb Co. |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi N · Mchenry Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi S · Kane Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 15 mi E · Cook Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 20 mi S · Dupage Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 4 mi N · Kane Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi NE · Cook Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Tornado | 15 mi SE · Dupage Co. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi NW · Kane Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi E · 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 Elgin
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Elgin
Elgin averages 5.9 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.00 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 24 miles from the city centre on Apr 4, 2023. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Elgin
There have been 64 tornado reports within 25 miles of Elgin since 2016; the strongest was rated EF3 (Jun 20, 2021, 21 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Elgin 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 Elgin
Questions about storms in Elgin
Does Elgin get a lot of severe storms?
Elgin averages 15.3 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 Elgin?
Most severe-weather reports around Elgin come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Elgin?
3.00 inches (tea cup size) on Apr 4, 2023, 24 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Elgin?
Yes — 64 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF3 on Jun 20, 2021.
How do I get storm alerts for Elgin?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Elgin, 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 Elgin, 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 Oct 27, 2026.