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Storm tracker · Rockford, IL

Rockford storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history

Live watches and warnings for Rockford, IL, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.

Live alerts for Rockford, IL

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    Storm outlook, next 48 hours

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    Thunderstorm forecastHigh instabilityModerateLow

    Severe weather in Rockford by the numbers

    11.1severe-weather days a year (avg 2016–2025)
    4.1hail days a year
    51storm reports in the last 12 months
    3.00″biggest hail since 2016 (Apr 7, 2020)
    39tornado reports since 2016 · strongest EF2

    Rockford gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 489 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 121 hail reports, 329 damaging-wind reports and 39 tornado reports. On average that is 11.1 days a year with at least one report.

    Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 56% of all reports were filed.

    In the last 12 months there were 17 hail reports, 28 wind reports and 6 tornado reports around Rockford; the largest hail was 2.75″ (baseball) on Apr 17, 2026.

    Latest storm reports near Rockford

    DateReportWhere
    Aug 21, 2026Hail 1.00″7 mi N · Winnebago Co.
    Jul 3, 2026Damaging wind12 mi N · Winnebago Co.
    Jun 24, 2026Hail 1.00″11 mi SW · Ogle Co.
    Jun 11, 2026Damaging wind6 mi NW · Winnebago Co.
    Jun 10, 2026Damaging wind14 mi E · Boone Co.
    Apr 17, 2026Damaging wind5 mi S · Winnebago Co.
    Apr 17, 2026Tornado10 mi NW · Winnebago Co.
    Apr 17, 2026Hail 1.50″15 mi N · Winnebago Co.
    Apr 15, 2026Hail 1.00″7 mi W · Winnebago Co.
    Apr 15, 2026Damaging wind9 mi SW · Ogle 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

    01837567416: 5 hail16: 14 damaging wind1617: 19 hail17: 26 damaging wind17: 4 tornado1718: 6 hail18: 16 damaging wind1819: 1 hail19: 14 damaging wind1920: 25 hail20: 38 damaging wind20: 6 tornado2021: 3 hail21: 45 damaging wind21: 5 tornado2122: 6 hail22: 30 damaging wind22: 3 tornado2223: 16 hail23: 20 damaging wind23: 6 tornado2324: 8 hail24: 58 damaging wind24: 8 tornado2425: 15 hail25: 40 damaging wind25: 1 tornado2526: 17 hail26: 28 damaging wind26: 6 tornado26
    HailDamaging windTornado

    Storm season in Rockford

    0295887116Jan: 0JanFeb: 4FebMar: 38MarApr: 76AprMay: 59MayJun: 83JunJul: 116JulAug: 77AugSep: 11SepOct: 0OctNov: 25NovDec: 0Dec

    All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.

    Hail in Rockford

    Rockford averages 4.1 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 7 miles from the city centre on Apr 7, 2020. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.

    Tornadoes near Rockford

    There have been 39 tornado reports within 25 miles of Rockford since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Jun 22, 2024, 25 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.

    Storm alerts for Rockford 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.

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    Storm trackers near Rockford

    Elgin, IL45 mi · 15.3 storm days/yrAurora, IL53 mi · 14.8 storm days/yrMadison, WI58 mi · 9.7 storm days/yrNaperville, IL59 mi · 16.0 storm days/yrJoliet, IL73 mi · 14.2 storm days/yrChicago, IL80 mi · 13.6 storm days/yrAll of Illinoislive warnings & state storm stats

    Questions about storms in Rockford

    Does Rockford get a lot of severe storms?

    Rockford averages 11.1 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 Rockford?

    Most severe-weather reports around Rockford come in June, July, August.

    What is the biggest hail recorded near Rockford?

    3.00 inches (tea cup size) on Apr 7, 2020, 7 miles from the city centre.

    Have tornadoes hit near Rockford?

    Yes — 39 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Jun 22, 2024.

    How do I get storm alerts for Rockford?

    The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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.