Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 89, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 30, 2004DeWitt County, Macon County, Piatt County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2004, 5:54 PM CDT for DeWitt County, Macon County, Piatt County, Illinois. It was in force for 51 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 30, 2004, 5:54 PM CDT (22:54 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2004, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties DeWitt County, IL, Macon County, IL, Piatt County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:55 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 30, 1:05 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 27 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: 1629 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 201 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 177 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.4
Supercell composite: 8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KILX 302254
SVRILX
ILC039-115-147-302345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
552 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  PIATT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS
  DE WITT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS
  MACON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT

* AT 552 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM HALLSVILLE TO LANE...OR FROM 10
  MILES EAST OF LINCOLN TO 6 MILES EAST OF CLINTON...MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 50 MPH.
 
  IN ADDITION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE 5 SOUTH OF CERRO GORDO...
  MOVING NORRTHEAST AT 50 MPH.


* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  MANSFIELD
  FARMER CITY
  MONTICELLO
  CLINTON
  WAPELLA
  FARMER CITY
  DE LAND
 
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.

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 4029 8916 4006 8914 3986 8900 3991 8852
          4027 8849

$$

GOETSCH

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 30, 2:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 2:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
245 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

.DISCUSSION...MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES INCLUDE SVR STORMS EARLY
TNT AND PRECIP CHANCES WITH UPPER LOW THRU WEDNESDAY. MODELS
FAIRLY SIMILAR IN EVOLUTION OF UPPER SYSTEM OVER THE GREAT LAKES
EARLY THIS WEEK. SOME MINOR TIMING DIFFERENCES WITH FROPA THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT ACRS THE FCST AREA BUT THOSE ARE MINOR. ETA
MODEL USED WITH THIS FCST PACKAGE WITH A BLEND OF THE GFS ENSEMBLE
AND EURO MODEL FOR DAYS 4 THRU 7. WL ADD A FLOOD WATCH FOR OUR SE
THIRD AS THIS AREA RECEIVED TORRENTIAL RAINS SVL DAYS AGO AND FFG
THE LOWEST IN THIS AREA.

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...
OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM MORNING CONVECTION CLEARLY EVIDENT ON VISIBLE
SATELLITE LOOP...MAKING ITS WAY NORTH NOW AS NEXT BATCH OF SEVERE
CONVECTION MAKES ITS WAY INTO WEST CENTRL IL. WIND PROFILE ALONG
AND NORTH OF BNDRY VERY CONDUCIVE TO UPDRAFT ROTATION WITH WINDS
MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL SOUTH OF MESOSCALE BNDRY. WL KEEP LIKELY POPS
GOING MOST AREAS WITH THE NW PRECIP ENDING LATER THIS EVENING WHILE
STORM CHANCES REMAIN ACRS THE SOUTHEAST UNTIL ABOUT 06Z. WINDS TO
TURN MORE SW AND WEST TNT AS BNDRY SHIFTS EAST WITH SOME LOW AND MID
LVL DRYING INDICATED ON SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS AFTR
MIDNIGHT. UPPER LOW TO SETTLE ACRS THE REGION STARTING ON MONDAY WITH
DAILY CHANCES FOR MAINLY AFTN AND EVENING CONVECTION WITH LI/S AROUND
-3 AND TOTAL TOTALS IN THE MID 50S INDICATIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF COLD AIR
ALOFT WITH THIS FEATURE. AS UPPER LOW SLOWLY FILLS...TEMPS ALOFT WILL
SLOWLY WARM WITH LOW LVL LAPSE RATES NOT AS STEEP AS WE HEAD INTO
MID WEEK.

LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
NW FLOW PATTERN TO PREVAIL DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK AS UPPER
LOW WEAKENS TO OUR EAST. SVL WEAK SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN NW FLOW WITH
STRONGEST CENTER OF CURRENT ON ENSEMBLES FROM CNTRL PLAINS INTO THE
LOWER OHIO VALLEY SUGGESTING ANY MCS ACTIVITY SHOULD STAY TO OUR
SOUTH. WL KEEP DRY FCST GOING IN EXTENDED.

&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 400 AM CDT FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A
SHELBYVILLE TO PARIS LINE.

&&

SMITH

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 11:27 AM CDT, 6 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1127 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-311100-
CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-
DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-FULTON-JASPER-KNOX-LAWRENCE-LOGAN-
MACON-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT-
RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-
WOODFORD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BLOOMINGTON...CHAMPAIGN...DANVILLE...
DECATUR...EFFINGHAM...FLORA...GALESBURG...HAVANA...JACKSONVILLE...
LAWRENCEVILLE...LINCOLN...MATTOON...PEORIA...SHELBYVILLE...
SPRINGFIELD AND TAYLORVILLE
1128 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK THIS AFTERNOON
INTO THIS EVENING WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT LONG-TRACKED
TORNADOES...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AFTER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEPART THE AREA THIS MORNING...MORE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP BY MID-AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE
EVENING HOURS. MANY OF THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...PRODUCING VERY
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE POTENTIAL ALSO EXISTS FOR
TORNADOES...A FEW OF WHICH MAY BE LARGE AND PRODUCE LONG DAMAGE
TRACKS. THE TIME FRAME FOR THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
FROM AROUND 2 PM UNTIL 8 PM. AFTER THAT...THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
EVOLVE INTO A SEVERE SQUALL LINE OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE
AREA...PRODUCING MAINLY DAMAGING WINDS. MOST OF THE SEVERE WEATHER
SHOULD MOVE EAST INTO INDIANA BY MIDNIGHT.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STORMS. SINCE THE
GROUND IS STILL SATURATED FROM PREVIOUS RAINFALL OVER SOUTHEASTERN
ILLINOIS...FLASH FLOOD CONDITIONS MAY RETURN TO THAT PORTION OF THE
AREA IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WILL LINGER OVER THE GREAT
LAKES MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LEADING TO A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FROM
AROUND 2 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

&&
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.

BYRD

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 5:26 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
526 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     HAIL             WASHINGTON              40.70N 89.44W
05/30/2004  1.25 INCH        TAZEWELL           IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            DENTS IN CARS. REPORTED BY SWOP OBSERVER.

0521 PM     HAIL             HAVANA                  40.30N 90.06W
05/30/2004  0.75 INCH        MASON              IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTED BY HAVANA POLICE.

0521 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HAVANA                  40.30N 90.06W
05/30/2004                   MASON              IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ROAD SIGN DOWN. MOTORCYCLES BLOWN OFF THE ROAD. REPORTED
            BY HAVANA POLICE.

&&

GEELHART

Local storm report, May 30, 5:27 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
527 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0527 PM     TORNADO          2 NE SECOR              40.76N 89.11W
05/30/2004                   WOODFORD           IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            INCREASING IN SIZE, BUILDINGS DAMAGED.

&&

GEELHART

Local storm report, May 30, 5:33 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
533 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TSTM WND GST     PEORIA                  40.74N 89.61W
05/30/2004  60 MPH           PEORIA             IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            MEASURED GUST REPORTED BY SWOP OBSERVER.

0531 PM     TORNADO          1 N WASHINGTON          40.71N 89.44W
05/30/2004                   TAZEWELL           IL   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

GEELHART

Local storm report, May 30, 5:37 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
537 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0536 PM     HAIL             DELAVAN                 40.37N 89.54W
05/30/2004  2.75 INCH        TAZEWELL           IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            REPORTED ON TOWN LINE RD SOUTH OF DELAVAN.

&&

GEELHART

Local storm report, May 30, 5:46 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
546 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0539 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CHANDLERVILLE           40.05N 90.15W
05/30/2004                   CASS               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES SNAPPED OFF AT THE BASE.

0545 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 W TREMONT             40.53N 89.51W
05/30/2004  63 MPH           TAZEWELL           IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            REPORTED AT TAZEWELL COUNTY EOC.

0541 PM     TSTM WND GST     MASON CITY              40.20N 89.70W
05/30/2004  60 MPH           MASON              IL   MESONET

&&

GEELHART

Local storm report, May 30, 5:53 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
553 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0553 PM     TSTM WND GST     DELAVAN                 40.37N 89.54W
05/30/2004  60 MPH           TAZEWELL           IL   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

GEELHART

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 8:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton, Peoria, Tazewell	39 min
May 30, 9:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Stark	44 min
May 30, 9:06 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Knox, Stark	6 hr
May 30, 9:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford	48 min
May 30, 9:34 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Peoria, Tazewell	6 hr
May 30, 9:46 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Tazewell, Woodford	59 min
May 30, 9:52 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Marshall, Woodford	6 hr
May 30, 10:27 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	McLean	6 hr
May 30, 11:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	DeWitt, McLean	39 min
May 30, 11:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Logan, Macon	50 min
May 30, 3:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Fulton, Knox	60 min
May 30, 4:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Schuyler	66 min
May 30, 4:21 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Knox	6 hr
May 30, 4:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Peoria, Stark	62 min
May 30, 4:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Peoria, Stark	61 min
May 30, 4:34 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Fulton, Schuyler	6 hr
May 30, 4:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Tazewell, Woodford	54 min
May 30, 4:40 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Peoria, Stark	6 hr
May 30, 4:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Fulton, Knox	62 min
May 30, 4:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Menard	56 min
May 30, 4:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Cass, Mason	61 min
May 30, 5:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Shelby	54 min
May 30, 5:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Marshall	65 min
May 30, 5:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Woodford	56 min
May 30, 5:24 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Marshall, Woodford	6 hr
May 30, 5:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Clark, Crawford, Cumberland, Jasper	65 min
May 30, 5:30 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Tazewell	6 hr
May 30, 5:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Effingham, Logan, Shelby, Tazewell	59 min
May 30, 5:34 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Effingham, Shelby	6 hr
May 30, 5:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Douglas, Edgar	65 min
May 30, 5:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Logan, Tazewell	46 min
May 30, 6:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	McLean	57 min
May 30, 6:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Edgar	66 min
May 30, 6:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	DeWitt	63 min
May 30, 6:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Coles	59 min
May 30, 6:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign	69 min
May 30, 6:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Cumberland, Effingham, Jasper	66 min
May 30, 6:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Clark	54 min
May 30, 6:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Piatt	56 min
May 30, 6:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Champaign, Piatt	63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

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.