Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 32, NWS Lincoln, IL
NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Oct 4, 1991, 6:50 PM CDT for McLean County, Illinois. It was in force for 25 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Oct 4, 1991, 6:50 PM CDT (23:50 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 4, 1991, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 25 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lincoln, IL
- Area
- Whole counties
County McLean County, IL
The nearest sounding before it
Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 203 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -65 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1045 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 135 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 117 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KPIA 042354 COR TORPIA ILC113-050015- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING ...CORRECTED TO ADD ISP DISTRICTS... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 650 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEORIA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS ...MCLEAN COUNTY AT 6:45 PM... A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED OVER BLOOMINGTON AT ROUTE 51 AND VETERANS PARKWAY. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT AROUND 45 MPH. TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BLOOMINGTON... COOKSVILLE.. AND ARROWSMITH. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. PEOPLE IS CENTRAL AND EASTERN MCLEAN COUNTY SHOULD HEAD FOR SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND HAIL WITH THIS STORM. THE TORNADO WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN TAZEWELL COUNTY HAS EXPIRED. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS. ATTN ISP DIST 6 JACOB"S
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, Oct 4, 2:31 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-009-042030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 230 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE EITHER DECREASED IN INTENSITY OR HAVE TEMPORARILY ENDED IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AT 220 PM...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL MCLEAN COUNTY MAINLY ALONG INTERSTATE 55. SOME OF THESE STORMS WERE MOST LIKELY PRODUCING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN. OTHER SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHEAST MCLEAN COUNTY...ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL AND IN WESTERN ILLINOIS FROM ABOUT BURLINGTON TO GALESBURG. ALL OF THE RAINFALL WAS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO REDEVELOP IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH OUR REGION. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE SEVERE IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF THE LOW PRESSURE AREA AND THE VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MOVING TOWARD OUR REGION. STAY TUNED TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA WEATHER FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS. MILLER
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:03 PM CDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
ILZ009-010-042215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL 3 00 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING... THUNDERSTORMS AND RAINSHOWERS HAVE SHOWN A TENDENCY TO DEVELOP RANDOMLY DURING THE LAST HOUR. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN BLOOMINGTON...CHAMPAIGN AND VANDALIA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND MOVING INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS AT AROUND 30 MPH. PERSONS IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. FS WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS THAT SEEM NECESSARY. FS
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-009-042130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 325 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR MOST OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS LOW WILL COMBINE FORCES WITH WARM AND HUMID AIR IN OUR REGION TO CAUSE THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. AT 315 PM...RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND EXTREME WESTERN ILLINOIS NEAR QUINCY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH AND WILL BE PUSHING THROUGH SOUTHERN HANCOCK AND WESTERN MCDONOUGH COUNTIES BETWEEN 330 AND 415 PM. OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE EASTERN HALF OF MCLEAN COUNTY...MAINLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 55. THIS RAINFALL WAS ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. PEOPLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING DUE TO ALREADY SATURATED GROUND FROM THE 3.00 TO 5.00 INCHES OF RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN SINCE WEDNESDAY. MOTORISTS ARE REMINDED NOT TO DRIVE OVER A WATER COVERED ROADWAY.5 MILLER
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
ILZ009-010-042315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL 3 55 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING... THE EASTERN EDGE OF A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES EAST OF MOLINE TO THE QUINCY AREA THEN SOUTHWEST INTO MISSOURI. ANOTHER AREA OF DECREASING THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN A 40 MILE WIDE AREA FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF CHAMPAIGN TO 40 MILES SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN. ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. FS
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 4:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-009-042230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 425 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR MOST OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... AT 415 PM...RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM NEAR GALESBURG TO RUSHVILLE TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF QUINCY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS NEAR EXTREME SOUTHERN SCHUYLER COUNTY...40 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF QUINCY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. THE STRONGEST STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH SCHUYLER COUNTY TOWARD RUSHVILLE AROUND 430 PM...AND THEN INTO EASTERN MCDONOUGH AND WESTERN FULTON COUNTIES...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PEORIA...BY 500 PM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAIN ...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. PEOPLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING DUE TO ALREADY SATURATED GROUND FROM THE 3.00 TO 5.00 INCHES OF RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN SINCE WEDNESDAY. MOTORISTS ARE REMINDED NOT TO DRIVE OVER A WATER COVERED ROADWAY. MILLER
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 4:49 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
ILZ009-010-040015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL 4 45 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING... THE EASTERN EDGE OF A LONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF PEORIA...ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER TO 20 MILES WEST OF ST LOUIS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 40 MILES WEST OF SPRINGFIELD NEAR BEARDSTOWN AND 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD NEAR GRIGGSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL BE AFFECTING MEREDOSIA...BEARDSTOWN...JACKSONVILLE AND VIRGINIA THROUGH 6 PM. ANOTHER AREA OF DECREASING THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER VERMILION COUNTY FROM DANVILLE TO NEAR HOOPESTON. ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. DB
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 4:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Fulton, Schuyler | 54 min |
| Oct 4, 5:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Cass, Morgan | 59 min |
| Oct 4, 5:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Mason, Tazewell | 59 min |
| Oct 4, 5:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Menard, Sangamon | 62 min |
| Oct 4, 5:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Cass, Morgan | 47 min |
| Oct 4, 6:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | McLean, Tazewell | 32 min |
| Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Christian, Macon, Montgomery | 59 min |
| Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Macoupin | 59 min |
| Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | DeWitt | 59 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.