Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2014

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Chicago, IL

May 11, 20144 counties in Illinois

NWS Chicago, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 11, 2014, 5:44 PM CDT for 4 counties in Illinois. It was in force for 61 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 11, 2014, 5:44 PM CDT (22:44 UTC)
Expired
May 11, 2014, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Chicago, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Grundy County, IL, Kendall County, IL, LaSalle County, IL, Livingston County, IL

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:47 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 11, 3:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 125 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2014-05-11Temperature 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2014-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 164 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1968 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

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 11, 5:26 PM CDT, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 5:26 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 11, 4:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
425 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019-
122130-
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-
425 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 /525 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2014/

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

  WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME COULD BE SEVERE WITH:
    HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS.
    DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH.
    TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.
    FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
    ALONG WITH SOME TORNADO POTENTIAL.

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING SOME SEVERE...WILL TRACK
  EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA THROUGH
  10 PM. THERE IS SOME TORNADO POTENTIAL FOR MAINLY LOCATIONS
  SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 88 AND WEST OF ILLINOIS HIGHWAY 47...AND
  PRIMARILY BEFORE 8 PM.

  SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE ACROSS MAINLY FAR
  NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS EVENING INTO OVERNIGHT. THE SEVERE
  WEATHER POTENTIAL WILL BE LESS.

  DISCUSSION:

  A WARM FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE AREA THIS
  EVENING. HIGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WILL
  FUEL STORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL BE ORGANIZED AND CAPABLE OF
  SEVERE WEATHER. AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH OF THE AREA BY
  LATER EVENING...THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL SHOULD WANE.

  THE PRIMARY HAZARD APPEARS TO BE LARGE HAIL...POSSIBLY UP TO THE
  SIZE OF GOLF BALLS OR PERHAPS A BIT LARGER IN SPOTS. ANY ORGANIZED
  STORM CLUSTERS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS. THE CHANCE
  FOR A TORNADO OR TWO IS PRIMARILY CONFINED TO NEAR THE WARM FRONT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHERN
ILLINOIS...WITH THE POTENTIAL INCREASING MONDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A
THREAT OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT
CHANCE THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON
OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ACROSS THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
AREA THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

&&

LMZ740>745-122130-
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-
425 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MID
EVENING...WITH A LESSER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LINGERING
THROUGH OVERNIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL
AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS THROUGH THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY...WITH THE THREAT OF
THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING MONDAY NIGHT AND POTENTIALLY LINGERING
INTO TUESDAY MORNING. SOME THREAT DOES EXISTS FOR THUNDERSTORMS
MONDAY NIGHT TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OVER 35 KNOTS.

STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT
MONDAY.

&&

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-122130-
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-
425 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF THE LAKE. SOME OF
THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...SOME
MAY BE SEVERE.

DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.

&&

MTF

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 11, 4:50 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
450 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014

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

0438 PM     TSTM WND GST     SUGAR GROVE             41.77N 88.46W
05/11/2014  M59.00 MPH       KANE               IL   ASOS

            MEASURED GUST TO 59 MPH AT SUGAR GROVE/AURORA AIRPORT.

0440 PM     HAIL             MARENGO                 42.25N 88.60W
05/11/2014  E1.25 INCH       MCHENRY            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&
Local storm report, May 11, 4:54 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
454 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014

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

0445 PM     HAIL             UNION                   42.23N 88.54W
05/11/2014  E1.00 INCH       MCHENRY            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE NEAR FRANKLIN AND KIRKLAND ROADS.

0451 PM     HAIL             SW WOODSTOCK            42.31N 88.44W
05/11/2014  E0.88 INCH       MCHENRY            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL NEAR ROUTE 176 AND FRANKLINVILLE ROADS.

&&
Local storm report, May 11, 5:20 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 11, 5:25 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 11, 5:28 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 11, 5:33 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 2:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTBoone, McHenry, Winnebago66 min
May 11, 3:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTBoone, Ogle, Winnebago56 min
May 11, 3:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLee57 min
May 11, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTBoone, McHenry, Winnebago58 min
May 11, 4:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLake, McHenry58 min
May 11, 4:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTDuPage, Kane54 min
May 11, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLaSalle, Livingston55 min
May 11, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTFord, Iroquois, Livingston59 min
May 11, 5:14 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLOT2 hr
May 11, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLake, McHenry45 min
May 11, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTFord, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall, Livingston and 1 more64 min
May 11, 5:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook, DuPage55 min
May 11, 5:52 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLOT113 min
May 11, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook, Kendall, Will35 min
May 11, 6:20 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLOTCook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois and 6 more3 hr
May 11, 6:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTCook, Will58 min
May 11, 6:57 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLOTCook, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall and 2 more4 hr
May 11, 6:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTJasper, Lake, Newton, Porter56 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2014Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2014

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.