Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Chicago, IL

June 17, 1992Will County, Illinois

NWS Chicago, IL issued this tornado warning at Jun 17, 1992, 2:36 PM CDT for Will County, Illinois. It was in force for 39 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
Jun 17, 1992, 2:36 PM CDT (19:36 UTC)
Expired
Jun 17, 1992, 3:15 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Chicago, IL
Area
Whole counties

County Will County, IL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 17, 3:00 PM CDTHail 1Will, 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 338 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 12:00Z on 1992-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 475 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1992-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 292 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
475 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-301 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
709 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
272 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 KCHI 171936
TORCHI
ILC197-172015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
236 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
 
   ...WESTERN WILL COUNTY
 
AT 233 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR MINOOKA...10
MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOLIET. POLICE REPORTED FUNNEL CL&OUDS AT COAL CITY AT
230 PM.
 
PEOPLE IN JOLIET AND LOCKPORT ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER
INDOORS IN THE BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL.
MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED.
 
ATTN ISP 5
ALLSOPP

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, Jun 17, 12:07 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
ILZ001-002-171715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCKFORD IL
1205 AM CST WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH ALL NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL 8PM CDT...

RADAR AT 1205 CDT THIS AFTERNOON WAS STILL SHOWING A SOLID LINE OF
VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING THROUGH PARTS OF SOUTHERN
WISCONSIN...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...AND ON SOUTHWEST INTO EAST IOWA.
THIS LINE WAS MOVING DUE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER NEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHWEST
WINNEBAGO AND NORTH CENTRAL OGLE COUNTIES HERE IN NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS. THESE WERE ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF
ROCKFORD. THESE STORMS SHOULD BE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.

THE LINE OF STORMS WILL BE EFFECTING THE COUNTIES OF STEPHENSON AND
CARROLL COUNTIES FROM NOW TILL ABOUT 1PM CDT. THE STORMS JUST WEST OF
ROCKFORD WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST TOWARD ROCKFORD/BYRON/LOVES
PARK/AND MACHESNEY PARK FROM NOW TILL ABOUT 1 CDT.

ALL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS...BOTH IN THE LINE AND THE ONES JUST WEST
OF ROCKFORD WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND SOME HAIL.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF ANY OF THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INDOORS
AWAY FROM WINDOWS AS THIS VERY DANGEROUS STORMS APPROACH.

STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND T. V. STATIONS FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THESE POTENTIALLY
VERY DANGEROUS STORMS.
FIELDS

ATTN: ISP 1..2..16
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 12:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
ILZ003-005-008-ILC105-INC127-171830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1207 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
   AND THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT NOON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN CHICAGO TO 15 MILES NORTH
OF JOLIET.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF COOK...WILL...AND DUPAGE COUNTIES THROUGH
100 PM.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...EXTENDED FROM MADISON WISCONSIN
TO MOLINE ILLINOIS TO BURLINGTON IOWA.  THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING
EAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL REACH MCHENRY...KANE...AND LASALLE COUNTIES
BETWEEN 130 PM AND 230 PM.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.  MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
IS SPOTTED OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 12:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
ILZ003-005-008-ILC105-INC127-171830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1235 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
   AND THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 1230 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF CHICAGO TO 10 MILES NORTH OF JOLIET.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL CONTINUE
TO AFFECT COOK...WILL...AND SOUTHERN DUPAGE COUNTIES THROUGH 115 PM.
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODSTOCK.
THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO NORTHWEST MCHENRY COUNTY AROUND 130 PM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY CONTAIN BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...EXTENDED FROM 35 MILE NORTHWEST
OF ROCKFORD TO MOLINE.  THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL REACH

MCHENRY...KANE...AND LASALLE COUNTIES BETWEEN 145 PM AND 230 PM.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.  MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
IS SPOTTED OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 1:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
ILZ003-005-008-ILC105-INC127-171930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
100 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
   AND THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 1255 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...FROM 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODSTOCK
TO ROCKFORD TO 15 MILES EAST OF MOLINE.  THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST
AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO MCHENRY...KANE AND LASALLE COUNTIES
BETWEEN 145 PM AND 245 PM.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
AT 1255 PM FROM CHICAGO TO 10 MILES NORTH OF JOLIET.  THESE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.  MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
IS SPOTTED OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE_ NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 1:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
ILZ003-005-008-ILC105-INC127-171930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
120 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
   AND THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 115 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...FROM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODSTOCK
TO 45 MILES WEST OF AURORA AND THEN SOUTHWESTWARD.  THE LINE WAS
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH WHILE INDIVIDAUL THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINE
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.  LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE ROCKFORD VICINITY FROM THESE STORMS.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST MCHENRY COUNTY BY 145 PM.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.  MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
IS SPOTTED OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 2:03 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
ILZ003-005-008-ILC105-INC127-172000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
200 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
   AND THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 155 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
FROM 20 MILES NORTH OF JOLIET TO 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF PONTIAC AND THEN
SOUTHWESTWARD.  OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM
WOODSTOCK TO 25 MILES WEST OF OTTAWA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED
IN SOUTHERN DUPAGE COUNTY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
THESE STORM WILL LIKELY CONTAIN BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...
AND GUSTY WINDS.

PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS` SHOULD AVOID OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AS THESE
STORMS MOVE THROUGH AND STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
TAYLOR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 17, 2:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook27 min
Jun 17, 2:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook37 min
Jun 17, 3:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLake38 min
Jun 17, 3:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook28 min
Jun 17, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook, Will67 min
Jun 17, 4:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTIroquois, Kankakee63 min
Jun 17, 5:05 PM CDTTornado WarningLOTIroquois25 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.