Every state’s records

Illinois Weather Records

9 official all-time records

The official all-time extremes for Illinois, as NOAA’s State Climate Extremes Committee lists them: from 117°F at East St. Louis to -38°F at Mt. Carroll.

Maximum Temperature

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
117°FJuly 14, 1954East St. Louis112614E: Value is unchanged from previous extremes tables last updated by NCEI (formerly NCDC) between 1998 and 2006. Value exceeds all other valid values.

Minimum Temperature

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
-38°FJanuary 31, 2019Mt. Carroll115901NS

This value exceeded the previous record of -36 degrees F, observed at Congerville on 5 January 1999.

Greatest 24-Hour Precipitation

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
16.91 inchesJuly 18, 1996Aurora110338E: Value is unchanged from previous extremes tables last updated by NCEI (formerly NCDC) between 1998 and 2006. Value exceeds all other valid values.

Maximum 24-Hour Snowfall

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
36 inchesFebruary 28, 1900Astoria110291N: Value is changed from extremes tables last updated by NCEI (formerly NCDC) between 1998 and 2006. Value exceeds all other valid values.

Maximum Snow Depth

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
41 inchesJanuary 31, 1979Gebhard Woods St.Pk.113369N1
41 inchesFebruary 28, 1900Astoria110291N1

Hail: Weight

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
1.228 poundsMarch 10, 2026KankakeeSA

On March 10, 2026, a long-lived supercell thunderstorm moved across the Kankakee River Valley, producing an outbreak of tornadoes and large hail across parts of Illinois and Indiana. This event notably included a record-breaking hailstone found in Kankakee, Illinois, which was officially measured at 6.603 inches in diameter, weighing 19.65 ounces. To learn more about this record stone, see the full report.

Hail: Diameter

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
6.603 inchesMarch 10, 2026KankakeeSA

On March 10, 2026, a long-lived supercell thunderstorm moved across the Kankakee River Valley, producing an outbreak of tornadoes and large hail across parts of Illinois and Indiana. This event notably included a record-breaking hailstone found in Kankakee, Illinois, which was officially measured at 6.603 inches in diameter, weighing 19.65 ounces. To learn more about this record stone, see the full report.

Hail: Volume

RecordDateWhereStationStatus
38.697 cubic inchesMarch 10, 2026KankakeeSA

On March 10, 2026, a long-lived supercell thunderstorm moved across the Kankakee River Valley, producing an outbreak of tornadoes and large hail across parts of Illinois and Indiana. This event notably included a record-breaking hailstone found in Kankakee, Illinois, which was officially measured at 6.603 inches in diameter, weighing 19.65 ounces. To learn more about this record stone, see the full report.

More

Every storm in Illinois since 1950Every tornado in IllinoisEvery state

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State Climate Extremes Committee records.