Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 32, NWS Lincoln, IL

October 4, 1991McLean County, Illinois

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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1991-10-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 203 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 12:00Z on 1991-10-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 135 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 4, 4:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Schuyler54 min
Oct 4, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass, Morgan59 min
Oct 4, 5:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMason, Tazewell59 min
Oct 4, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMenard, Sangamon62 min
Oct 4, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass, Morgan47 min
Oct 4, 6:13 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMcLean, Tazewell32 min
Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian, Macon, Montgomery59 min
Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMacoupin59 min
Oct 4, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXDeWitt59 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.