Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 69, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 30, 2008McLean County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2008, 6:34 PM CDT for McLean County, Illinois. It was in force for 16 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, 2008, 6:34 PM CDT (23:34 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2008, 6:50 PM CDT
In force: 16 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County McLean County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:35 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, 1:56 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 50 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: 57 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -325 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1164 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 128 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 106 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 
WUUS53 KILX 302334
SVRILX
ILC113-310015-
/O.NEW.KILX.SV.W.0069.080530T2334Z-080531T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
634 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN MCLEAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT.

* AT 634 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  COOKSVILLE...OR ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF BLOOMINGTON...AND WAS MOVING
  EAST AT 48 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  RURAL MCLEAN COUNTY...

ANOTHER LOCATION IN THIS WARNING IS...COLFAX.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO
IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR DAMAGE TO YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGER...OR THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 4048 8875 4063 8879 4068 8859 4067 8857
      4065 8857 4063 8855 4063 8848 4062 8844
      4053 8846
TIME...MOT...LOC 2334Z 261DEG 42KT 4056 8864

$$

CHURCHILL

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KILX 302350
SVSILX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
651 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

ILC113-310001-
/O.CAN.KILX.SV.W.0069.000000T0000Z-080531T0015Z/
MCLEAN-
651 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN MCLEAN COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

AT 649 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
THE THUNDERSTORM THAT HAD PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD MOVED OUT OF THE
AREA...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4048 8875 4063 8879 4068 8859 4067 8857
      4065 8857 4063 8855 4063 8848 4062 8844
      4053 8846
TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 261DEG 42KT 4059 8838

$$

CHURCHILL

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, 2:57 PM CDT, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 2:57 PM CDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
257 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

.DISCUSSION...
ISSUED 157 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008
SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON
ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LEFT OVER FROM OVERNIGHTS CONVECTION. HOW
LONG THIS LASTS IS THE FIRST ISSUE FOR THE FORECAST...NEXT WILL BE
A SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF THE WEST MONDAY NIGHT ALONG QUASI ZONAL
FLOW THAT SETS UP ACROSS THE MIDSECTION OF THE CONUS THROUGH THE
FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. WENT WITH THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ECMWF
FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST...THOUGH THE MODELS ARE IN DECENT
AGREEMENT THROUGH DAY 5. BEYOND THAT...WAS VERY CONSERVATIVE IN
PUTTING TOO MUCH WEATHER IN...WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE
ECMWF...WHEN THERE IS A MASSIVE PARTING OF SOLUTIONS IN THE
EXTENDED.

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE STORMS FIRE
ALONG THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY MAKING ITS WAY SWD THROUGH THE CWA.
WINDS AND HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREAT...BUT THE STORMS WILL BE FIRING
OFF OF DESTABILIZED AIR FROM DIURNAL HEATING. BTWN THE FORWARD
MOTION AND THE WARM AIR... STORMS SHOULD BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 72
BY MIDNIGHT. INCREASED THE WIND GUSTS A BIT BEHIND THE SYSTEM AS
TODAYS CONVECTION HAS BEEN LEAVING SOME TIGHT GRADIENT WINDS WITH
THE RESULTING WAKE LOW. FRONT MOVES THROUGH IN THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY
MORNING HOURS...THOUGH THE TEMPERATURES FOR SATURDAY WILL NOT BE
COLD. HIGHS INTO THE LOWER 80S. TIME HEIGHTS HAVE VERY NARROW
RIBBON OF RH IN THE LOW LEVELS. OTHERWISE...A RATHER DRY COLUMN
SHOULD WARM QUICKLY AND HELP MIX OUT. AS A RESULT...WENT A LITTLE
LIGHT ON THE CLOUDS FOR THE FORECAST. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY DRY AND
RATHER WARM.

LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MODELS IN THE ONSET OF MONDAY.
THE ECMWF ACTUALLY MAINTAINS TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
COLLIDING...WAA SHOWERS OUT OF THE SOUTH...AND A WAVE MOVING IN
FROM THE WEST...AND IS SOMEWHAT SLOWER TO MERGE THEM...WITH THE
NORTHERN WAVE HITTING FIRST. FOR PERSISTENCE SAKE...AM GOING WITH
THE ECMWF. CHANCES INCREASING MONDAY NIGHT...AND CONTINUING FOR
TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS WAA CONTINUES OVER THE AREA. DRYING
OUT WEDNESDAY. AT THIS POINT KEEPING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DRY AS
GFS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PATTERN THIS FAR OUT...AND THE ECMWF
IS HINTING AT AN ATTEMPT AT A PATTERN CHANGE...GOING INTO A FAR
MORE AMPLIFIED FLOW.

HJS
&&

.AVIATION...
ISSUED 1212 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

INITIAL CONVECTION NORTHWEST OF INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR IS WEAKENING.
EXPECT ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT AROUND MID AFTERNOON ALONG AN
OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT WILL STRETCH FROM AROUND UIN TO N OF CMI.
DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WILL BE LIKELY EARLY ON UNTIL AROUND 00Z...THEN
A TRANSITION TO A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED WITH AN INCREASE IN STRONG
WINDS. MOST OF THE SEVERE CONVECTION SHOULD BE SOUTH/EAST OF THE
CENTRAL ILLINOIS TERMINALS BY 03Z. IN THE MEANTIME...EXPECT MAINLY
VFR CONDITIONS OUTSIDE OF PRECIPITATION AREAS WITH S-SW SURFACE
WINDS 10-20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. MAIN COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
THROUGH AFTER 06Z...WITH A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS AND W-NW WINDS
10-15 KT.

04
&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 3:01 PM CDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

ILZ037-038-041>057-061>063-066-311100-
CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-COLES-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-
EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-LOGAN-MACON-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-
PIATT-SANGAMON-SCOTT-SHELBY-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FROM NORTHERN MISSOURI THROUGH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY TORNADO THREAT WILL BE IN THE
AREA FROM WINCHESTER THROUGH SPRINGFIELD AND LINCOLN TO THE
BLOOMINGTON AND CHAMPAIGN AREAS FROM 4 PM TO 8 PM. OTHER AREAS
WILL LIKELY SEE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
PERHAPS AN ISOLATED TORNADO. ALL OF THE SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD MOVE
EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA AFTER 9 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING.

ILZ067-068-071>073-311100-
CLAY-CRAWFORD-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL BECOME SEVERE AND MOVE
INTO SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS EARLY THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE
WEATHER THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED
TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE BEFORE SUNSET. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT
SHOULD MOVE PAST THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

ILZ027>031-036-040-311100-
FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-STARK-WOODFORD-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL THROUGH EARLY
EVENING...WITH THE HIGHER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT BEING JUST TO THE
SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA. THE OVERALL CHANCES FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL END TOWARD SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 6:15 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
615 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0613 PM     TORNADO          SPRINGFIELD             39.78N 89.64W
05/30/2008                   SANGAMON           IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TORNADO REPORTED AT 5TH AND CEDAR IN SPRINGFIELD. FROM
            EMERGENCY MANAGER.

&&

SCHAFFER

Local storm report, May 30, 6:16 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
616 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0609 PM     HAIL             4 W TOLONO              39.99N 88.34W
05/30/2008  E2.75 INCH       CHAMPAIGN          IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 6:21 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
621 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0616 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     SPRINGFIELD             39.78N 89.64W
05/30/2008                   SANGAMON           IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0615 PM     HAIL             PHILO                   40.00N 88.16W
05/30/2008  E4.25 INCH       CHAMPAIGN          IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 6:30 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
630 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0627 PM     HAIL             SPRINGFIELD             39.78N 89.64W
05/30/2008  E1.75 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            INTERSECTION OF CLEAR LAKE AND INTERSTATE 55.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 6:31 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
631 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0626 PM     HAIL             SPRINGFIELD             39.78N 89.64W
05/30/2008  M1.00 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 6:32 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
632 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0625 PM     HAIL             SPRINGFIELD             39.78N 89.64W
05/30/2008  E0.25 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            AT INTERSECTION OF 19TH AND SANGAMON.

&&

SMITH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 2:52 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	ILX	McLean, Tazewell, Woodford	4 hr
May 30, 3:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	McLean	27 min
May 30, 4:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Vermilion	49 min
May 30, 4:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Cass, Mason, Menard	31 min
May 30, 4:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Morgan, Scott	50 min
May 30, 4:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Logan	24 min
May 30, 4:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Vermilion	12 min
May 30, 4:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	DeWitt, Logan, Macon	46 min
May 30, 5:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass	38 min
May 30, 5:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Morgan, Scott	46 min
May 30, 5:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, McLean, Piatt	44 min
May 30, 5:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Sangamon	49 min
May 30, 5:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	McLean, Tazewell, Woodford	3 hr
May 30, 6:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Champaign	40 min
May 30, 6:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Morgan, Scott	49 min
May 30, 6:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Vermilion	36 min
May 30, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass, Fulton, Mason, Morgan, Schuyler	46 min
May 30, 6:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Christian, Macon, Sangamon	43 min
May 30, 6:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Champaign, Douglas, Edgar, Vermilion	31 min
May 30, 6:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Morgan, Sangamon	47 min
May 30, 6:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Vermilion	35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.