Rossville, IL Hail Storm – February 2026

What Happened

A hail storm moved through the Rossville, IL area on February 19, 2026, with 1-inch hail and three NWS alert periods from 1:02 AM CST to 1:34 AM CST. The event was concluded by the time the final alert cleared.

The first alert at 1:02 AM CST carried warning-only confidence for 1-inch hail. At 1:13 AM CST, dual-polarization radar detection supported the same hail size. A third alert at 1:34 AM CST kept the 1-inch hail signal in place as the storm continued across the warning area.

Ground reports lined up with the radar signal. A spotter-provided photo at 1:13 AM CST from Rantoul showed quarter-size hail. Another spotter-verified mPING report at 1:16 AM CST listed dime-size hail at 0.75 inch. The reports place verified hail on the ground during the same overnight window covered by the alerts.

Damage Assessment

The field reports point to a narrow hail band with verified stones reaching 1 inch, followed by smaller hail just minutes later in the same overnight sequence. The Rantoul photo report confirms quarter-size stones at 1:13 AM CST. The mPING report at 1:16 AM CST recorded 0.75-inch hail, which shows the storm continued to produce measurable hail after the first verified report.

This was not a widespread damage event in the available reports. The record shows hail, not structural loss. The strongest evidence comes from spotter verification and radar detection rather than post-storm damage photos. That keeps the surface impact picture limited to hailfall observations in and near the alert area.

For contractors, the main takeaway is the timing. The storm hit after midnight, with verified hail reports clustered in a short span between 1:13 AM CST and 1:16 AM CST. Roof inspections, vehicle checks, and gutter reviews should focus on properties that were under the warning area during that overnight window.

What Contractors Should Know

Use the alert sequence to narrow the canvass. The first notice came at 1:02 AM CST, and the final alert followed at 1:34 AM CST. That places the core hail window in the middle of the night, when many property owners would not have seen the storm develop. Field crews should expect limited immediate calls and more damage discovery after daylight.

The verified reports came from Rantoul, which sits within the broader storm corridor tied to Rossville for this event page. Contractors working nearby should treat the overnight hail path as the first inspection priority, then move outward into surrounding neighborhoods that sat under the warning area. Check soft metals, asphalt shingle edges, downspouts, skylights, and exposed vehicle surfaces before moving on to broader exterior claims work.

This storm produced modest hail sizes, but the spacing between the verified reports matters. A photo-confirmed quarter-size report at 1:13 AM CST and a dime-size report at 1:16 AM CST suggest uneven hail fallout across a short track. That pattern supports a block-by-block review instead of a countywide assumption.

Rossville, IL Hail Storm – February 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 55

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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