Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2014

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Chicago, IL

May 20, 2014DeKalb County, Kane County, Ogle County, Illinois

NWS Chicago, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2014, 6:33 PM CDT for DeKalb County, Kane County, Ogle County, Illinois. It was in force for 42 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 20, 2014, 6:33 PM CDT (23:33 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2014, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Chicago, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.5 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties DeKalb County, IL, Kane County, IL, Ogle County, IL

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:34 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 20, 3:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 143 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, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2014-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 203 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2014-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 176 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
203 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-354 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1127 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
176 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
190 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 20, 6:18 PM CDT, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 6:18 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 5:49 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
549 PM CDT TUE MAY 20 2014

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019-
212300-
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-
549 PM CDT TUE MAY 20 2014 /649 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2014/

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

  WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE WITH:
  HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS.
  DAMAGING WINDS.
  ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING.
  AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF A TORNADO.

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY EARLY THIS
  EVENING ACROSS FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND EXPAND IN COVERAGE
  THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
  ILLINOIS...AND INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA. STORMS WILL SLOWLY
  DIMINISH IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVERNIGHT. THE SEVERE
  WEATHER THREAT LOOKS TO BE AT ITS PEAK ALONG...AND NORTH OF
  INTERSTATE 80...AND MAINLY BETWEEN 6 PM AND 1 AM.

  DISCUSSION:

  A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA THIS
  EVENING. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG OR
  JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT ACROSS FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS
  AFTERNOON. THESE INITIAL STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL
  AND STRONG WINDS...ALONG WITH AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF A TORNADO.
  AS WINDS ALOFT INCREASE THIS EVENING STORMS WILL LIKELY ORGANIZE
  AND HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AS
  THEY EVOLVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION...INCLUDING ACROSS THE
  CHICAGO METRO AREA. THE STORMS WILL MAINTAIN A HAIL THREAT AS
  WELL AS AN ISOLATED FLASH FLOOD THREAT...AS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A
  SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD OF STORMS IN SOME COMMUNITIES. STORMS SHOULD
  SLOWLY DIMINISH IN INTENSITY OVERNIGHT...WITH A SLOW PROGRESSION
  SOUTHWARD.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 ON
WEDNESDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD AGAIN BE STRONG TO
SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS FROM
ANY SEVERE STORMS.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 ON MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.

&&

LMZ740>745-212300-
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-
549 PM CDT TUE MAY 20 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.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD BE SEVERE...PRODUCING WINDS OVER 50 KNOTS AND LARGE HAIL.

PATCHY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY.

&&

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-212300-
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-
549 PM CDT TUE MAY 20 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD
BE SEVERE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE LAKE...PRODUCING WINDS
IN EXCESS OF 50 KNOTS AND LARGE HAIL.

AREAS OF DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

&&

BEACHLER

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 20, 6:18 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 6:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTOgle56 min
May 20, 6:07 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLOT3 hr
May 20, 6:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTWinnebago41 min
May 20, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTDuPage, Kane50 min
May 20, 6:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTLee, Ogle63 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.