Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 14, 1991Hancock County, McDonough County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 14, 1991, 7:15 PM CDT for Hancock County, McDonough County, Illinois. It was in force for 60 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
May 14, 1991, 7:15 PM CDT (00:15 UTC)
Expired
May 14, 1991, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hancock County, IL, McDonough County, IL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 14, 7:22 PM CDTHail 0.75Hancock, 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

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 420 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1991-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 900 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1991-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
900 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1337 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPIA 150015
SVRPIA
ILC067-109-150115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
715 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE WEST CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      EASTERN HANCOCK...WESTERN MCDONOUGH

AT 710 PM CDT 60 TO 70 MPH WINDS AND DIME SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED
NEAR CARTHAGE IN CENTRAL HANCOCK COUNTY...30 MILES SOUTH OF
BURLINGTON IOWA. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH.

TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ST. MARY...COLMAR AND
TENNESSEE.

IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA THREATENED BY THE STORM..GO TO A REINFORCED
SHELTER AND PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND LIGHTNING.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
A TORNADO WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

THIS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS
AND UNDERPASSES.

ATTN ISP DIST...14

MILLER

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, May 14, 2:33 PM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-142030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
230 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN ILLINOIS...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AND BRIEF
GUSTY WINDS...WERE NEAR ALTONA...20 MILES NORTHEAST OF GALESBURG AT 225 PM.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DRIFTING SLOWLY TO THE NORTH AROUND 15 MPH. HEAVY
RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS MAY RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER OR MINOR
FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH
OF KNOX COUNTY BY 300 PM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
INCLUDING MCLEAN COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECENT REPORTS
OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM MCLEAN COUNTY. WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 225 PM
INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN MCLEAN COUNTY
ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF BLOOMINGTON. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING
EAST AROUND 15 MPH.              ~                                MILLER
Special weather statement, May 14, 4:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
ILZ007-142230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
415 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS INCLUDING MCLEAN COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE THREAT OF
SEVERE WEATHER HAS TEMPORARILY ENDED.

ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
EXPECTED IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE
SEVERE AND COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.

PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY
TONIGHT AND STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR LATER STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

MILLER
Special weather statement, May 14, 4:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
ILZ009-10-142200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
430 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS HAS
BEEN CANCELLED.   A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 900 PM CDT.

AT 420 PM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED OVER WEST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS BETWEEN JACKSONVILLE AND SPRINGFIELD.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

OTHER SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
FROM DANVILLE TO VANDALIA.  THESE WERE ALSO MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

PALMER
Special weather statement, May 14, 5:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-142330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
525 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS EARLY TONIGHT...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT THERE
IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. REMEMBER
THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCASSIONALY PRODUCE TORNADOES.

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 520 PM INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN
WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS NORTH OF LINE FROM BURLINGTON TO MARSEILLES. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST KNOX COUNTY...ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHEAST
OF GALESBURG. THESE 9STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND
VERY HEAVY RAIN. SOME LOCAL FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER IS POSSIBLE DUE
TO THE HEAVY RAIN. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND
10 MPH.
                          MILLER
Special weather statement, May 14, 6:24 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-150030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
620 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE OVER WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS NORTH OF A LINE
FROM NEAR BURLINGTON TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF PEORIA TO MARSEILLES AT 620 PM.
THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR PRINCETON...40 MILES WEST OF MARSEILLES AND
IN NORTHEAST KNOX COUNTY 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF PEORIA. THESE STORMS HAVE
PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN AND PEA SIZED HAIL. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST
AROUND 15 MPH. THE HEAVY RAIN AND SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT THERE
IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. REMEMBER
THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCASSIONALY PRODUCE TORNmADOES.
                                                               MILLER
Special weather statement, May 14, 6:55 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
ILZ009-10-150000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
655 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN MACOUPIN AND WESTERN
MONTGOMERY COUNTIES IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS EXPIRED AT 645 PM.  NO ADDITIONAL
REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THESE STORMS.

AT 645 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SPRINGFIELD NEAR MORRISONVILLE TO 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD
NEAR CARLINVILLE.  THE STORMS HAD DIMINISHED IN INTENSITY SINCE 615 PM
AND WERE MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.  THESE STORMS WILL STILL
HAVE FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN AND SMALL
HAIL.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL
1100 PM CDT TONIGHT.

PALMER

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.