Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Lincoln, IL

March 17, 1989DeWitt County, Macon County, Piatt County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 1989, 6:39 PM CST for DeWitt County, Macon County, Piatt County, Illinois. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 17, 1989, 6:39 PM CST (00:39 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1989, 7:15 PM CST
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties DeWitt County, IL, Macon County, IL, Piatt County, IL

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 98 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 00:00Z on 1989-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 00:00Z on 1989-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 211 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
616 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
211 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
339 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSPI 180039 RRA
TORSPI
ILC039-115-147-180115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
639 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      DE-WITT...MACON...PIATT

 AT 634 PM CST MACON SHEIRFF OFFICE AND MACON ESDA REPORTED
FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR OREANA AND LATHEM ILLINOIS IN MACON COUNTY.

THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST.

FUNNEL CLOUDS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE
OR NO ADVANCE WARNING...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE
TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER
IF AVAILABLE...OTHERWISE TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

 ATTN ISP DIST...6 AND 10
 HILLIARD

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Mar 17, 1:01 PM CST, 5 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
105 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1988

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH SMALL HAIL MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN MARSHALL AND
PUTNAM COUNTIES...

AT 100 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR HENRY...30 MILES NORTHEAST OF PEORIA.  THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUZNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED PEA AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL AS THEY MOVED
THROUGH KNOX AND STARK COUNTIES EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.  HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

J LAST
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 1:14 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
115 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1988

...TEN DEGREE TEMPERATURE DROP IN TEN MINUTES AT THE GREATER PEORIA
AIRPORT...

A STATIONARY FRONT...DIVIDING THE STATE OF ILLINOIS IN HALF...HAS
PRODUCED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND LARGE FLUCTUATIONS IN TEMPERATURE
ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS.  BETWEEN 1255 PM AND 105 PM...THE TEMPERATURE
AT THE GREATER PEORIA AIRPORT DROPPED TEN DEGREES...FROM 53 DEGREES
TO 43 DEGREES...AS WINDS SWITCHED FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH.

THE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY HAVOC ON TEMPERATURE
FORECASTS THIS AFTERNOON...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S IN
BUREAU AND PUTNAM COUNTIES...AND NEAR 60 DEGREES IN TAZEWhELL AND MASON
COUNTIES.

J LAST
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 4:33 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
435 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1988

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MASON...MCLEAN...AND TAZEWELL COUNTIES UNTIL
10 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 430 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM CHICAGO SOUTHWEST TO SAINT LOUIS.  THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE LOCATED IN THE SAINT LOUIS AREA...HOWEVER A THUNDERSTORM
NEAR MORTON ILLINOIS...15 MILES SOUTH OF PEORIA...WAS PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.  THE RAIN WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN
HOUR.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  STAY TUNED
TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA WEATHE.R RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

J LAST
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 4:55 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
4 50 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS UNTIL 10 00 PM CST...

AT 4 45 PM...SPRINGFIELD WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A 30 MILE WIDE BAND
OF RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS
...FROM JOLIET...TO PEORIA...TO BEARDSTOWN...45 MILES WEST OF
SPRINGFIELD...TO JUST WEST OF ST. LOUIS.

THE STRONGEST STORMS...LIKELY PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WIND WERE LOCATED ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER 60 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SPRINGFIELD NEAR PEARL ILLINOIS...AND JUST NORTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 50 MILES AN HOUR...BRINGING THESE
STORMS INTO MACOUPIN COUNTY BETWEEN 5 15 AND 5 45...AND INTO SOUTHERN
SANGAMON AND NORTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY BY 6 PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH
OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD
SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOP LICSTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS.

WAGNER
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 5:32 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
530 PM CST FRI MAR 17 1988

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MASON...MCLEAN...AND TAZEWELL
COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 525 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM CHICAGO SOUTHWEST TO SAINT LOUIS.  SEVERE
STORMS WERE LOCATED IN THE SAINT LOUIS AREA AND 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS.  CLOSER TO PEORIA...A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS
LOCATED AT SAN JOSE...30 MILES SOUTH OF PEORIA.  THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE `WATCH AREA.  STAY TUNED
TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

J LAST

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 6:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean52 min
Mar 17, 6:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian, Macon, Shelby63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989

Sources

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