Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2013

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Chicago, IL

May 31, 2013Ford County, Iroquois County, Livingston County, Illinois

NWS Chicago, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2013, 10:27 PM CDT for Ford County, Iroquois County, Livingston County, Illinois. It was in force for 63 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 31, 2013, 10:27 PM CDT (03:27 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2013, 11:30 PM CDT
In force: 63 min
Issued by: NWS Chicago, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Possible
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 70.0 mph

Counties Ford County, IL, Iroquois County, IL, Livingston County, IL

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:30 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.

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 31, 10:11 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 74 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: 2269 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 228 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 244 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.6
Supercell composite: 15.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 9:49 PM CDT, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:49 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 4:41 PM CDT, 5 hours 46 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
441 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019-
012145-
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE ILLINOIS-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-
DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-
IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE INDIANA-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-
441 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013 /541 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

  WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  THUNDERSTORMS...SOME MAY PRODUCE:

  DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
  HEAVY RAIN WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.
  QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
  FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL
  ILLINOIS AND SHOULD OVERSPREAD EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND
  NORTHWESTERN INDIANA DURING THE EVENING.

  DISCUSSION:

  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST TONIGHT ACROSS
  CENTRAL MISSOURI THROUGH ILLINOIS INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA. SOME
  OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY
  RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN FLASH
  FLOODING. THE ANTICIPATED CORRIDOR OF HEAVY RAIN HAS SHIFTED
  FARTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT...AND NOW WILL BE MAINLY
  SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND
  NORTHWESTERN INDIANA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO COULD
  BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BEING
  THE MAIN THREAT.

PORTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS AND VERMILION RIVERS WILL REMAIN IN
FLOOD.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON
INTO SATURDAY EVENING...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE
55 CORRIDOR. THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS
THE MAIN THREAT. HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY.

PORTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS AND VERMILION RIVERS WILL REMAIN IN
FLOOD. RISES ON OTHER AREA RIVERS ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED EARLY THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY
SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.

&&

LMZ740>745-012145-
WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR-
WILMETTE HARBOR TO NORTHERLY ISLAND-
NORTHERLY ISLAND TO CALUMET HARBOR-CALUMET HARBOR TO GARY-
GARY TO BURNS HARBOR-BURNS HARBOR TO MICHIGAN CITY-
441 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE
WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE
MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.

STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT IN
THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS THROUGH THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS 35 KNOTS OR HIGHER
AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY.

&&

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-012145-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MICHIGAN CITY IN TO ST. JOSEPH MI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO THE
MACKINAC BRIDGE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLEVOIX MI TO SOUTH
FOX ISLAND 5 NM OFFSHORE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM CHARLEVOIX TO POINT BETSIE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM POINT BETSIE TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE TO STURGEON BAY WI-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM STURGEON BAY TO TWO RIVERS WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM TWO RIVERS TO SHEBOYGAN WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE
TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WILMETTE HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ST. JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
441 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE
MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.

AREAS OF DENSE FOG ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE LAKE TODAY
AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS 35 KNOTS OR HIGHER
AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL.

AREAS OF DENSE FOG ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO SUNDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY.

&&

VISIT US AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (ALL LOWERCASE)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.CHICAGO.GOV
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSCHICAGO
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSCHICAGO

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 31, 7:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
730 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

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

0715 PM     HEAVY RAIN       6 N GIFFORD             41.15N 87.04W
05/31/2013  M0.75 INCH       JASPER             IN   COCORAHS

            RAIN FELL IN 20 MINUTES.

&&

C

Local storm report, May 31, 7:33 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 31, 7:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 31, 7:58 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
758 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

INZ010-011-019-010115-
BENTON IN-JASPER IN-NEWTON IN-
758 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 757 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR REMINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THIS
WILL AFFECT I-65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 200 AND 206.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. HEAVY RAINFALL
COULD LEAD TO STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POOR VISIBILITY. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

&&

LAT...LON 4084 8699 4083 8709 4067 8709 4063 8727
      4081 8728 4088 8698 4084 8698
TIME...MOT...LOC 0057Z 255DEG 31KT 4075 8712

RATZER

Local storm report, May 31, 8:03 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
803 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

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

0630 PM     TSTM WND GST     MOUNT AYR               40.95N 87.30W
05/31/2013  E65 MPH          NEWTON             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NUMEROUS BRANCHES DOWN, POWER POLES LEANING.

&&

BEACHLER

Local storm report, May 31, 9:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
909 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

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

0815 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MOUNT AYR               40.95N 87.30W
05/31/2013                   NEWTON             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            AROUND 2 FEET OF FLOWING WATER.

&&

IZZI

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 10:25 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LOT	Ford, Iroquois, Livingston	6 hr
May 31, 11:01 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	Iroquois	7 days
May 31, 11:01 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	Iroquois	34 hr
May 31, 11:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LOT	Iroquois	79 min
May 31, 11:19 PM CDT	River Flood Advisory	LOT	Livingston	11 hr
May 31, 11:45 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	LaSalle	13 hr
May 31, 11:51 PM CDT	River Flood Advisory	LOT	Grundy	13 hr
Jun 1, 4:30 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LOT	Iroquois	29 hr
Jun 1, 10:42 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	Livingston	34 hr
Jun 1, 11:39 AM CDT	Small Craft Advisory	LOT		4 hr
May 31, 7:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LOT	Benton	34 min
May 31, 7:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LOT	White	17 min
May 31, 11:01 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	Jasper	4 days
May 31, 11:01 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LOT	Newton	6 days

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2013 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2013

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.