Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Lincoln, IL

March 22, 1991Bureau County, Stark County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Mar 22, 1991, 9:49 PM CST for Bureau County, Stark County, Illinois. It was in force for 31 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 22, 1991, 9:49 PM CST (03:49 UTC)
Expired
Mar 22, 1991, 10:20 PM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bureau County, IL, Stark County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 381 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1991-03-23Temperature 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1991-03-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 223 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
521 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
223 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
281 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPIA 230349
TORPIA
ILC011-175-230445-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
949 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      SOUTHERN BUREAU...NORTHERN STARK

AT 944 PM CST... SPOTTERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUDS IN THE
LAFAYETTE AREA OF NORTHWEST START COUNTY.

THE STORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS POSSIBLE TORNADO INCLUDE MODENA
BRADFORD AND PROVIDENCE.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS 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.

ATTN ISP 8 17

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 22, 8:08 PM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-230305-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
805 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 58 IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL
   ILLINOIS UNTIL 11PM CST...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR HENDERSON COUNTY
UNTIL 845 PM...

AT 800 PM CST... RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MOLINE SOUTH
TO BURLINTON WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS LOCATED BETWEEN OQUAWKA AND BALD
BLUFF IN HENDERSON COUNTY.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED ON THE BORDERS OF MCDONOUGH
AND HANCOCK COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE MOVING INTO THE BLANDESVILLE
AREA IN MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

ALL THE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
0                                                                 MOGGED
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 8:53 PM CST, 56 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-230330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
855 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY
   BUT CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM FOR NORTHWEST KNOX COUNTY...

THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER WESTERN KNOX COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.  THE STORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF WARREN COUNTY AND NO SEVERE
WEATHER WAS REPORTED.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD STILL PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER IN KNOX COUNTY
NORTH OF GALESBURG.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 60 HAS BEEN ISSUED TO REPLACE NUMBER 58.  TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 60 COVERS THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL ILLINOIS COUNTIES UNTIL
2AM... BUREAU.. PUTNAM.. STARK.. MARSHALL.. PEORIoA.. WOODFORD..
TAZEWELL AND MC CLEAN.
.
TORNADO WATCH 58 IS CANCELLED AT 9PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
HENDERSON.. WARREN.. KNOX.. HANCOCK.. MCDONOUGH.. FULTON.. MASON..
AND SCHUYLER.

JACOBS
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 8:58 PM CST, 51 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-230330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT   ..CORRECTION..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
855 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY
   BUT CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM FOR NORTHWEST KNOX COUNTY...

THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER WESTERN KNOX COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.  THE STORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF WARREN COUNTY AND NO SEVERE
WEATHER WAS REPORTED.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD STILL PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER IN KNOX COUNTY
NORTH OF GALESBURG.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 60 HAS BEEN ISSUED TO REPLACE NUMBER 58.
WATCH NUMBER 60 COVERS THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL ILLINOIS COUNTIES UNTIL
2AM... BUREAU.. PUTNAM.. STARK.. MARSHALL.. PEORIA.. WOODFORD..
TAZEWELL AND MC CLEAN.
.
TORNADO WATCH 58 IS CANCELLED AT 9PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
HENDERSON.. WARREN.. KNOX.. HANCOCK.. MCDONOUGH.. FULTON.. MASON..
AND SCHUYLER.

JACOBS
/CORRECTED TO CHANGE WATxCH NUMBER 60 TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH/
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 9:07 PM CST, 42 minutes before
ILZ009-010-230415-

SHORT TERM WEATHER FOR CENTRAL AND EASTCENTRAL ILLINOIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
905 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SPRINGFIELD TO 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD.  THE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN
LOGAN AND NORTHWESTERN DEWITT COUNTIES IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

STRONG WINDS...HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ACCOMPANY  THESE STORMS.

SKIES WILL REMAIN PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY OVER THE ENTIRE AREA THE REST
OF THIS EVENING WITH TEMPERATURES HOLDING STEADY IN THE LOW 60S.  THERE
REMAINS A CHANCE FOR MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND MOVE
INTO THE AREA BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE.

BE ALERT TO THE CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER
UPDATES.

MUNDY
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 9:24 PM CST, 25 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-230430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
925 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EXPIRES AT 930 PM FOR KNOX COUNTY...

AT 9:22 PM CST... RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHERN KNOX
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO EAST OF MOLINE.  HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN KNOX COUNTY WITH THIS STORM.

ELSEWHERE AT 9:22PM... ANOTHER LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
NEAR SPRINGFIELD TO JUST SOUTH OF BLOOMINGTON IN MCLEAN COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND SHOULD
MOVE UP ACROSS BLOOMINGTON AND LEXINGTON IN MC LEAN COUNTY DURING THE
NEXT HOUR.  THESE COULD BE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS IN THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2AM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS.
.
JACOBS
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 9:46 PM CST, 3 minutes before
ILZ009-010-230430-

SHORT TERM WEATHER FOR CENTRAL AND EASTCENTRAL ILLINOIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
945 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 65 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SPRINGFIELD TO 30 MILES EAST OF SPRINGFIELD.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO MACON AND EASTERN
DEWITT COUNTIES IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

ALSO ANOTHER LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED AND
EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHAMPAIGN TO JUST NORTH OF VANDALIA
ILLINOIS.  THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50
MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE NEXT HOUR...PIATT
...DOUGLAS AND CHAMPAIGN.

STRONG WINDS...HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

BE ALERT TO THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR
FURTHER UPDATES.

MUNDY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 22, 8:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXKnox, Warren25 min
Mar 22, 9:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean33 min
Mar 22, 11:33 PM CSTTornado WarningILXVermilion32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.