Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Chicago, IL

July 2, 1992DuPage County, Kane County, Illinois

NWS Chicago, IL issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1992, 2:26 PM CDT for DuPage County, Kane County, Illinois. It was in force for 49 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1992, 2:26 PM CDT (19:26 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1992, 3:15 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Chicago, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties DuPage County, IL, Kane County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 288 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 1992-07-02Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1992-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
775 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
265 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCHI 021929 COR
TORCHI
ILC043-089-022015-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED...COR TO ADD ISP
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
228 PM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS

   ...DUPAGE COUNTY...EASTERN KANE COUNTY

AT 226 KANE COUNTY EOC REPORTED A TORNADO IN AURORA THE TORNADO WAS
MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. NAPERVILEE AND HINSDALE ARE IN THE PATH OF THE
TORNADO.


IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN 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. GET AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

ATTN ISP 2 15

TAYLOR/HALLER

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, Jul 2, 11:29 AM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
ILZ001-002-021720-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED PARAGRAPH 2..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCKFORD IL
1120 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL 5 PM...

AT 1115 CDT THIS MORNING...THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED THROUGH
ROCKFORD EARLIER THIS MORNING HAD MOVED INTO NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS.
A SMALL AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED AOUT 30 MILES SOUTH OF
ROCKFORD.

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING INTO EASTERN IOWA AT 50 MPH.
THIS LINE HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH...LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO
THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF CARROLL...JO DAVIESS AND WHITESIDE COUNTIES
BETWEENN NOON AND 1 PM CDT.

AS THE STORMS APROACH...SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING. IF YOU
LIVE IN A MOBOLE HOME...MAKE PLANS NOW TO MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER.
.
ATTN: ISP 1..2..16

PETROVICH
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:57 AM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
ILZ003-005-007-008-INZ001-021930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1155 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND METROPOLITAN
CHICAGO UNTIL 5PM CDT...

AT NOON THE MAIN PROBLEM CONFRONTING CHICAGO WAS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
RACING EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TOWARD US AND INTENSIFYING.
THESE STORMS WILL APRROACH THE WEST SUBURBS OF CHICAGO BY 2 OR 230 PM.
CONDITIONS FAVOVR SEVERE AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY CAUSE SOME
TORNADOS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.

RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS THAT MOVED ACROSS CHICAGO WERE
OVER LAKE MICHIGAN AND DECREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY.

SIMPSON
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:08 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
ILZ001-002-021920-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCKFORD IL
1205 PM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL 5 PM...

AT NOON CDT...RADAR INDICATED THAT THE NEAREST LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
WAS IN EASTERN IOWA FROM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DUBUQUE AND ON SOUTH.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL MOVE
INTO JO DAVIESS...CARROLL AND WHITESIDE COUNTIES BETWEEN 12 30 PM
AND 1 PM.

THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF HIGH WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
AND LARGE HAIL.

AS THE STORMS APROACH...SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING. IF YOU
LIVE IN A MOBOLE HOME...MAKE PLANS NOW TO MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER.
.
ATTN: ISP 1..2..16

BELL
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
ILZ003-005-007-008-INZ001-021930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1235 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND METROPOLITAN
CHICAGO UNTIL 5PM CDT...

RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
RACING EAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH TOWARD US AND INTENSIFYING.  THESE STORMS
WILL APRROACH THE WEST SUBURBS OF CHICAGO BY 2 OR 230 PM...DUPAGE COUNTY
BY 3PM...AND DOWNTOWN CHICAGO ABOUT 4 PM...JUST WHEN AFTERNOON HEAT AND
HUMIDITY WILL IMPART HIGH ENERGY TO THE ATMOSPHERE.  CONDITIONS FAVOR
SEVERE AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY CAUSE TORNADOES TO FORM.

SEVERE WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR COUNTIE
S IN IOWA AND WEST
ILLINOIS NEAR MOLINE AND PEORIA.

TEMPERATURES FOR CHICAGO WILL BE IN 80S TO SOME 90S SOUTHEAST SUBURBS
WITH WINDS SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH ABOUT 15 MPH UNTIL THE STORMS ARRIVE.

SIMPSON
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 1:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
ILZ003-005-007-008-INZ001-021930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
105 PM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND METROPOLITAN
CHICAGO UNTIL 5PM CDT...

AT 1 PM RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS RACING EASTWARD
ACROSS NORTH ILLINOIS AT 50 MPH TOWARD GREATER CHICAGO.  THE LEADING
EDGE WAS 40 MILES WEST OF ROCKFORD SOUTHWARD TO NEAR GALESBURG.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL APPROACH WEST SUBURBS OF CHICAGO BY 2 OR 230 PM
...DUPAGE COUNTY AND JOLIET BY 3 PM...AND DOWNTOWN CHICAGO BY 4 PM CDT.
CONDITIONS FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY CAUSE TORNADOES TO FORM.
MANY SEVERE WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR COUNTIES, TO OUR WEST.

POSSIBLE TORNADOS...DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...HAIL...BLINDING
RAIN...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED AS THESE STORMS APPROACH AND
MOVE ACROSS ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON.

SIMPSON
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 2:00 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
ILZ001-002-022020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCKFORD IL
2 PM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL 5 PM...

AT 2 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED THAT A 20 MILE WIDE LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WAS WEST OF A LINE FROM ROSCOW...IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY
TO ROCHELLE...IN OGLE COUNTY...TO WEST BROOKLYN...IN LEE COUNTY.
FURTHERN WEST...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED INTO EASTERN
IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 55 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
SMALL HAIL...AND LOCALIZED AREAS OF HEAVY FLOODING.

PEOPLE IN BOONE AND DE KALB COUNTIES CAN EXPECT WINDS OF UP TO 50 MPH
AND SMALL HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED HEAVY DOWNPOURS
SHORTLY AFTER 2 PM.
.
ATTN: ISP DIST 1..2..16.

BELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 1:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTKane, Kendall, LaSalle60 min
Jul 2, 1:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTMcHenry60 min
Jul 2, 2:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTGrundy, Livingston61 min
Jul 2, 2:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook, DuPage, Will61 min
Jul 2, 2:39 PM CDTTornado WarningLOTCook, Will51 min
Jul 2, 2:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTFord, Iroquois, Kankakee61 min
Jul 2, 2:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLivingston61 min
Jul 2, 3:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTFord, Iroquois33 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.