Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 136, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 28, 2003Moultrie County, Piatt County, Shelby County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 28, 2003, 4:38 PM CDT for Moultrie County, Piatt County, Shelby County, Illinois. It was in force for 52 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 28, 2003, 4:38 PM CDT (21:38 UTC)
Expired: May 28, 2003, 5:30 PM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Moultrie County, IL, Piatt County, IL, Shelby County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:40 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 28, 2:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 54 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2202 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 168 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 124 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.

049 
WUUS53 KILX 282138
SVRILX
ILC139-147-173-282230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
436 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN PIATT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS
  MOULTRIE COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS
  SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT

* AT 436 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER MOWEAQUA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  DECATUR...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
  WAS 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF CERRO GORDO.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MOWEAQUA
  BETHANY
  WESTERVELT
  FINDLAY
  SULLIVAN
  SHELBYVILLE
  WINDSOR
  STEWARDSON
  CERRO GORDO

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
DAMAGING HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. TAKE
SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES WILL ACCOMPANY THIS DANGEROUS STORM.
MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE
HOMES IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR ANY STORM DAMAGE TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE
NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 3994 8849 4001 8874 3979 8876 3967 8882
          3966 8904 3946 8903 3923 8866 3935 8848

$$

KH

NNNN

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.

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 28, 3:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 3:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
307 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN WITH THIS PACKAGE IS TIMING OF FRONTAL PASSAGE
THIS EVENING AND SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER IN AREA...THIS WILL BE SHORT AND SWEET. SPC
HAS ISSUED A SEVERE TSTM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM TONIGHT. ALREADY RECEIVING
REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL AND BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS. WILL WORD ZONES
ACCORDINGLY. PCPN TO COME TO AN END MOST LOCATIONS BY MIDNIGHT...AS
PER PREVIOUS FORECAST.

BRIEF BREAK IN WX FOR THU AND THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE NEXT SYSTEM
MOVES IN ON FRIDAY. ANOTHER QUICK SHOT OF RWS/TRWS ON FRIDAY AND
FRIDAY EVENING...THEN ENDING EARLY ON SATURDAY.

STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY...THOUGH MODELS HAVE MODIFIED AIR MASS...SO NOT AS COOL OF
CONDITIONS AS ORIGINALLY EXPECTED. RAISED HIGH TEMPS A COUPLE OF
DEGREES ON SAT AND SUN.

AS FOR REST OF EXTENDED...KEPT CHANCE MENTION OF RWS/TRWS IN FOR
LATE TUESDAY AND CONTINUE INTO WED AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLS ACROSS
CWA.

ISC GRIDS SENT EARLIER.

.ILX...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 435 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT...FOR
AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF A STARK COUNTY TO CHRISTIAN COUNTY LINE.

BYRD

Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 11:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 38 minutes before

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-291100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1100 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS EASTERN ILLINOIS...EAST OF I-55. A COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON AND EXIT
SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS BY SUNSET. THIS FRONT WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH
THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS
WILL SHIFT EAST OF ILLINOIS BY SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

ANOTHER FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE MIDWEST ON FRIDAY
BRINGING A THREAT FOR MORE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO PARTS OF
CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO
FRIDAY EVENING. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ONCE AGAIN
OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS EASTERN ILLINOIS THIS
AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-57. THE PRIMARY THREAT
FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 1 AND 7 PM.

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC AND CLIMATE
INFORMATION...IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/ILX. THIS ADDRESS IS ALL
IN LOWER CASE.

SMITH/HUETTL

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 28, 4:02 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
402 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0356 PM    4 SE ATLANTA              IL   TORNADO
05/28/03   LOGAN                          REPORTED BY WAYNESVILLE
                                          FIRE DEPARTMENT

0359 PM    2 E BEASON                IL   TORNADO
05/28/03   LOGAN                          REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTER

BAK

Local storm report, May 28, 4:08 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
408 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0403 PM    MIDLAND CITY              IL   TORNADO
05/28/03   DEWITT                         REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTER

0405 PM    CLINTON                   IL   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/28/03   DE WITT                        REPORTED BY COUNTY SHERIFF

BAK

Local storm report, May 28, 4:16 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
416 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0425 PM    3 SW CLINTON              IL   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/28/03   DE WITT                        REPORTED BY SPOTTER
                                          WINDOWS BROKEN

BAK

Local storm report, May 28, 4:25 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED EVENT TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
425 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0415 PM    3 SW CLINTON              IL   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/28/03   DE WITT                        REPORTED BY SPOTTER
                                          WINDOWS BROKEN

BAK

Local storm report, May 28, 4:30 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
430 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0426 PM    OREANA                    IL   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/28/03   MACON                          DAMAGE TO TREES AND CARS
                                          FROM THE HAIL. REPORTED BY
                                          AN OBSERVER.

BAK/MILLER

Local storm report, May 28, 4:32 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
432 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0356 PM    ATLANTA                   IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/28/03   LOGAN                          LARGE TREES UPROOTED AT
                                          THE GOLF COURSE. REPORTED
                                          BY ESDA.

BAK/MILLER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 28, 1:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Marshall, Stark	52 min
May 28, 2:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Peoria, Woodford	60 min
May 28, 2:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Tazewell, Woodford	49 min
May 28, 3:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	McLean, Tazewell	40 min
May 28, 3:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Logan	50 min
May 28, 3:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Logan	28 min
May 28, 3:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	DeWitt	62 min
May 28, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Macon	67 min
May 28, 4:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Christian, Shelby	45 min
May 28, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Effingham, Shelby	46 min
May 28, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	82 min
May 28, 6:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	76 min
May 28, 6:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	65 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2003 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.