Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 66, NWS Lincoln, IL

July 31, 1986Coles County, Cumberland County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 1986, 5:49 AM CDT for Coles County, Cumberland County, Illinois. It was in force for 41 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 31, 1986, 5:49 AM CDT (10:49 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 1986, 6:30 AM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Coles County, IL, Cumberland County, IL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 31, 6:00 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Cumberland, IL

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Salem-Leckrone, IL (KSLO), launched 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 101 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Salem-Leckrone, IL at 00:00Z on 1986-07-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1925 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Salem-Leckrone, IL at 00:00Z on 1986-07-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 89 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1925 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-202 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1112 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KSPI 311049
SVRSPI
ILC029-035-311130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
549 AM CDT THU JUL 31 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...COLES AND CUMBERLAND

AT 540 AM CDT POWER LINES AND TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN AT SULLIVAN
ILLINOIS..ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF MATTOON ILLINOIS. AT 538AM CDT
TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN IN MOWEAQUA ILLINOIS ABOUT 15 MILES
SOUTH OF DECATUR ILLINOIS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING THE DAMAGING WINDS WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

REMEMBER..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCES DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINS THAT CAN
QUICKLY FLOOD A LOW LYING AREA.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE.
ASK THE NEAREST LAjW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR REPORT OF
SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

 ATTN ISP DIST..10 AND 12
 HUGHES

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 2:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
235 AM CDT THU JUL 31 1986

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FROM PEORIA FOR MCDONOUGH
AND SCHULER COUNTIES ARE IN ERROR.

THE WARNINGS ARE FOR FULTON AND PEORIA, BUT WE ARE HAVING
COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS.

GEER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Peoria69 min
Jul 31, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Peoria22 min
Jul 31, 3:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMacon, Moultrie, Piatt58 min
Jul 31, 3:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXDouglas58 min
Jul 31, 4:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXSangamon19 min
Jul 31, 4:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXSangamon24 min
Jul 31, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian52 min
Jul 31, 5:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMacon45 min
Jul 31, 5:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMoultrie, Shelby40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.