ABC7 viewers shared photos and video of hail the size of lacrosse balls in north suburban Evanston and golf ball-sized hail in Winnebago.
WATCH: ABC7 AccuWeather Forecast
In Evanston, hail dented several dozen cars near Dempster Street and Asbury Avenue. The hail also damaged windows in some homes in the area.
Chicago saw its warmest day of the year so far Tuesday, with many areas approaching 80 degrees by mid-afternoon.
The warm weather helped fuel severe storms as a cold front moved through the Chicago area Tuesday evening, ABC7 meteorologist Cheryl Scott said.
Much of the Chicago area was under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch that expired at 11 p.m. Tuesday.