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Hail in Mason County, Illinois
56 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 56 hail events in Mason County, Illinois, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 25 years.
May is the busiest month, with 22 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 28 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.5% of the 12,331 hail events recorded in Illinois; its 10.4 per 100 square miles compares with 22.2 statewide.
18 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with Illinois
| Measure | Mason County | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 56 | 12,331 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 10.4 | 22.2 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 43.5 | 9.7 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
4Mar
5Apr
10May
22Jun
8Jul
2Aug
3Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 56 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May 2026 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Feb 2024 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2023 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2019 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2015 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Sep 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2004 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2004 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2003 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2001 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1998 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1995 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1992 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Dec 1991 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1991 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1986 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1986 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1986 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1986 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1977 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1977 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1974 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1966 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Mason County had?
56 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Mason County?
4 May 2026 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Mason County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Mason County compare with Illinois for hail?
10.4 events per 100 square miles against 22.2 statewide; the county holds 56 of the state's 12,331 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.