Hail in Rockford May 17, 2026
The radar-estimated size surface caught this storm, reaching 0.5" aloft. NEXRAD logged no point detections over Rockford this day.
0.5"
≈ pea to penny · radar-estimated size aloft2,664
0
none filedThe 7th most severe storm Rockford has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Hail size
- 13 /100
- Homes exposed
- 69 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest hailstone — the top predictor of roof damage.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
How Rockford saw the hail — from two instruments
We map this storm two ways: the NEXRAD radar signatures the storm produced overhead, and the radar-estimated size of the hail in the air. The two surfaces don’t have to match — where they diverge is where estimated size aloft ran ahead of, or behind, what the signatures caught.
Maximum hail size as estimated from radar aloft. Treat it as the storm's ceiling — the largest supportable stone — rather than a ground measurement.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for May 17, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Rockford, so there is one map to show, not two.
Where May 17, 2026 sits in Rockford's hail record
This was Rockford's 5th recorded hail day, arriving 30 days after the Apr 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 7th of the 11 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Rockford at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The May 17, 2026 convective day was bigger than Rockford: the same system put hail over 894 other tracked cities, 14 of them in Illinois. Nearest: Chana (17 miles southwest, up to 1"); Darien (32 miles northeast, up to 1.75"); Delavan (34 miles northeast, up to 1.75").
These maps are stills from Rockford's May 17, 2026 storm. In the Overview app the same surfaces are live — radar updating in real time, radar-estimated hail size as it forms, and NWS spotter reports pinned where they're filed — with a radar replay you can scrub back over any past day.
What people on the ground reported
These are storm reports filed with the National Weather Service and released through the NOAA Storm Prediction Center — public-domain observations from spotters, the public, and NWS surveys. We quote each one exactly as filed.
For this storm over Rockford, the NWS report log is empty — a common outcome, since ground reports only happen when someone witnesses the hail and takes the time to call it in. The detection record for the date lives in the radar maps above.
What 0.5" hail means for Rockford roofs
Hail under three-quarters of an inch stays below the National Weather Service severe threshold and rarely breaks shingles outright. But repeated small-hail events accelerate granule loss and shorten roof life — on older roofs, it's still worth a conversation.
$32M
Potential roof exposure — 2,664 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.Track hail over Rockford on the live map
Radar updates in real time, spotter reports appear on the map as they're filed, and the full Rockford storm history — this May 17, 2026 storm included — sits underneath. When you're ready, draw this storm's footprint and pull highly accurate homeowner contact information for every address inside it.
Highly accurate contact information starting at $0.23 per address — every contact included. Digital leads cost $15–$40. Start with a 7-day free trial — no credit card required. See pricing
11 recorded storm days in Rockford, IL
Other storms in Rockford
Jul 4, 2026
1.25"
Jul 3, 2026
1"
Jun 24, 2026
0.5"
Jun 11, 2026
0.5"
Jun 10, 2026
0.75"
Jun 5, 2026
Apr 17, 2026
2.5"
Apr 14, 2026
0.75"
Mar 31, 2026
1.25"
Mar 30, 2026
1"