Mega hailstone officially broke state record during 'most severe year for weather in recent memory'

<p>"A real beast" of hail that dropped in Kankakee earlier this year is officially the state's largest recorded hailstone. </p><p>The hailstone — measuring 6.6 inches in diameter and weighing 1.2 pounds — fell into a Kankakee backyard during <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/weather/2026/03/11/2-killed-after-storms-bring-at-least-4-twisters-possible-record-setting-hail-in-illinois-and-indiana" target="_blank" >a severe round of storms</a> that also spawned 12 tornadoes back in M

Original reporting by Chicago Sun-Times · Kaitlin Washburn. GridIndex is an aggregation and intelligence layer — full credit to the original publisher.