Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Lincoln, IL

April 15, 1994Menard County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 15, 1994, 4:06 AM CDT for Menard County, Illinois. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 1994, 4:06 AM CDT (09:06 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1994, 4:45 AM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

County Menard County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 342 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 00:00Z on 1994-04-15Temperature 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1994-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2422 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
115 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 KSPI 150912 COR
SVRSPI
ILC129-150945-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED  ...CORRECTED 1ST PARAGRAPH...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
406 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

   ...MENARD COUNTY

AT 405 AM CDT...MARBLE-SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN PETERSBURG...IN WESTERN
MENARD COUNTY. PETERSBURG IS ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD.

THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH...AND WILL AFFECT THE
TOWNS OF GREENVIEW...SWEETWATER...AND ATHENS BY 435 AM.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
HAIL 3/4 INCH OR LARGER...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.


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, Apr 15, 1:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
ILZ025-034-150725-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
120 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM MOLINE EXTNDING SOUTHWEST TO KEOKUK
IOWA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.  THE STRONGER STORMS WERE STILL
OVER EASTERN IOWA.  THE STORMS SEEM TO BE SKIRTING NORTHEAST TO JUST
WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND HAVE NOT YET MOVED INTO WESTERN
ILLINOIS.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO HANCOCK AND
HENDERSON COUNTIES BY 2 AM.
STAY TUNDED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING
THESE STORMS.

AT JSIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

STUMETZ
/TYPO/
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 2:20 AM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
ILZ025>027-034-150820-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
219 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM FOR PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 220 AM...MOST THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER...HOWEVER OTHER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER
WARREN...MCDONOUGH AND SCHUYLER CONTIES WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
5 MILES EAST OF BURLINGTON IOWA AND 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MACOMB.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE STONGER STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE
HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

STAYED TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV OR RADIO STATIONS
FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THESE STORMS.

STUMETZ
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 2:56 AM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-150855-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
251 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 9 AM CDT...

AT 250 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER WEST CENTRAL
ILLINOIS MAINLY BETWEEN THE MISSISSIPPI AND ILLINOIS RIVER.  THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS IN FULTON COUNTY NEAR LEWISTON.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH ALL OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMEN6TS AD
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

STUMETZ
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:06 AM CDT, 1 hour before
ILZ042-047-048-050-051-059-150905-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
306 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...

AT 3 AM CDT...WEATHER RADAR FROM SPRINGFIELD SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST EAST OF THE QUAD CITIES...TO
SOUTH OF QUINCY...AND WESTWARD TOWARD COLUMBIA MISSOURI.  THE STORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO CASS AND MORGAN COUNTIES BY
4 PM...AND REACH THE SPRINGFIELD AREA AROUND 5 AM.

THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER
WHILE TRAVELLING ACROSS IOWA...MISSOURI...AND FAR WESTERN ILLINOIS.
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF
DANGEROUS WEATHER THIS MORNING.  MOVE TO THE BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR
ROOM IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES.

GEELHART
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:41 AM CDT, 25 minutes before
ILZ043-044-051>053-150945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
341 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE QUICKLY DEVELOPING NORTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD...

AT 330 AM CDT...SPRINGFIELD RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN
DE WITT COUNTY NEAR CLINTON...AND JUST NORTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD.  THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

THE STORMS SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE TOWNS OF FARMER CITY... DECATUR...
A$ND ILLIOPOLIS BY 445 AM CDT.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.

GEELHART
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:48 AM CDT, 18 minutes before
ILZ017-018-025>031-034>038-040-041-150950-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
347 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 9 AM CDT...

AT 350 AM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WAS FROM 10 MILES
EAST OF MOLINE EXTENDING SOUTHWEST TO JUST NORTH OF ST LOUIS.  THE
STRONGER STORMS WITHIN THE LINE WERE IN FULTON AND KNOX COUNTY.
ANOTHER ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
BLOOMINGTON NEAR LEROY.  MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WERE NORTHEAST AT 45
MPH.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF PEA SIZE HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH SOME OF THESE
STORMS ALONG WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

REMENBER...TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND CLOSE
TO THE WATCH AREA.  PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

STUMETZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 11:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCarroll, Stephenson41 min
Apr 15, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXWinnebago27 min
Apr 15, 3:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCarroll32 min
Apr 15, 3:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXLee, Ogle53 min
Apr 15, 4:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXWinnebago34 min
Apr 15, 4:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXPiatt45 min
Apr 15, 4:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign46 min
Apr 15, 4:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean61 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.