Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Lincoln, IL

July 2, 1994Christian County, Macon County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 1994, 1:17 PM CDT for Christian County, Macon County, Illinois. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1994, 1:17 PM CDT (18:17 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1994, 2:00 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Christian County, IL, Macon County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 295 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 1994-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1617 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 1994-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1617 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
835 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 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 
WUUS1 KSPI 021817 RRA
SVRSPI
ILC021-115-021900-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
117 PM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 200 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      NORTHERN CHRISTIAN...MACON

AT 110 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 30 MILES
NORTHEAST TO 20 MILES EAST OF SPRINGFIELD.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE
EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE WARRENSBURG... NIANTIC...
AND DECATUR IN MACON COUNTY...ALONG WITH MOUNT AUBURN AND
STONINGTON IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY.

TAKE SHELTER IN A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING.  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
LIGHTNING KILLS...SO STAY AWAY FROM TELEPHONES.  REMEMBER...A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME.

AUTEN/GEELHART

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, 11:04 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
ILZ047-021655-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...WORDING...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
1056 AM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO CASS COUNTY...

AT 1050 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
BEARDSTOWN...45 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING
TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

AT 1050 AM CDT... THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN BEARDSTOWN REPORTED PEA SIZE
HAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TOWN.

BRIEF DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS STORM.  MOVE TO A STURDY BUILDING
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...WHEN THIS STORM APPROACHES.  LISTEN TO
YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

AUTEN
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:21 AM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-021725-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
1121 AM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF OUR REGION...

LATE THIS MORNING...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO
SOUTHWESTERN MASON COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY PRODUCING 1/2 INCH
HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS...ESPECIALLY THOSE NEAR KILBOURNE...
HAVANA AND BIGGS...SHOULD SEEK SHELTER UNTIL THEY PASS.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN A 15 MILE WIDE
BAND FROM 20 MILES WEST OF SPRINGFIELD TO GALESBURG.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

BREESER
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:21 AM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-021725-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
1121 AM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF OUR REGION...

LATE THIS MORNING...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO
SOUTHWESTERN MASON COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY PRODUCING 1/2 INCH
HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS...ESPECIALLY THOSE NEAR KILBOURNE...
HAVANA AND BIGGS...SHOULD SEEK SHELTER UNTIL THEY PASS.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN A 15 MILE WIDE
BAND FROM 20 MILES WEST OF SPRINGFIELD TO GALESBURG.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

BREESER
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:33 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-021835-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
1234 PM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 1220 PM...AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING TO
THE WEST OF A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM SHEFFIELD...40 MILES EAST OF
MOLINE...TO 10 MILES EAST OF PEORIA TO 10 MILES EAST OF SPRINGFIELD.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SOME OF THE~SE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL... DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL. PERSONS IN THEIR PATH SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER AND ALLOW THE STORMS TO PASS.

BREESER
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:34 PM CDT, 43 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-021835-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
1234 PM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 1220 PM...AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING TO
THE WEST OF A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM SHEFFIELD...40 MILES EAST OF
MOLINE...TO 10 MILES EAST OF PEORIA TO 10 MILES EAST OF SPRINGFIELD.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL... DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL. PERSONS IN THEIR PATH SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER AND ALLOW THE STORMS TO PASS.

BREESER
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:47 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
ILZ042-043-048-051>057-059>063-021830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
1247 PM CDT SAT JUL 2 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS UNTIL 6 PM CDT...

AT 1245 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
JUST NORTH OF SPRINGFIELD...ENTERING THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF LOGAN
COUNTY.  THESE STORMS HAVE DOWNED TREES AND PRODUCED PEA TO MARBLE-
SIZE HAIL ACROSS MENARD AND FAR NORTHERN SANGAMON COUNTIES.

THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH.  PEOPLE IN AND NEAR
THE TOWNS OF ELKHART...BROADWELL... LINCOLN...AND MOUNT PULASKI SHOULD
MOVE TO A REINFORCED SHELTER.  WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THESE STORMS.

RADAR ALSO SHOWED ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DECATUR NEAR SULLIVAN...
AND MIDWAY BETWEEN CHAMPAIGN AND TERRE HAUTE.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH...AND WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT
FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF
INTERSTATE 55.

CWG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 11:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass45 min
Jul 2, 11:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass, Menard49 min
Jul 2, 11:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXLogan, Menard, Sangamon62 min
Jul 2, 1:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXEdgar, Vermilion51 min
Jul 2, 1:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXColes, Douglas60 min
Jul 2, 2:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXPiatt29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.