Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 3, 2021Coles County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2021, 8:02 PM CDT for Coles County, Illinois. It was in force for 28 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 3, 2021, 8:02 PM CDT (01:02 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2021, 8:30 PM CDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.75 in

County Coles County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:02 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 3, 8:24 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Charleston, IL	TREE BLOWN DOWN.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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 3, 2:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 76 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: 758 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 74 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

893 
WFUS53 KILX 040102
TORILX
ILC029-040130-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0010.210504T0102Z-210504T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
802 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Coles County in east central Illinois...

* Until 830 PM CDT.
    
* At 802 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Cooks Mill, or near Mattoon, moving east at 30
  mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Charleston around 825 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Fox
Ridge State Park, Bushton, Coles County Airport, Fairgrange and
Coles.

This includes Interstate 57 between mile markers 187 and 200.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3938 8813 3949 8847 3956 8846 3965 8845
      3961 8802
TIME...MOT...LOC 0102Z 285DEG 25KT 3954 8839 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

37

2 follow-up statements

629 
WWUS53 KILX 040121
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
821 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

ILC029-040130-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-210504T0130Z/
Coles-
821 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
COLES COUNTY...
    
At 821 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Charleston, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Charleston around 825 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Coles
County Airport, Fox Ridge State Park and Fairgrange.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3939 8813 3947 8831 3959 8827 3958 8803
      3949 8808
TIME...MOT...LOC 0121Z 285DEG 25KT 3951 8822 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

37

030 
WWUS53 KILX 040132
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
832 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

ILC029-040142-
/O.EXP.KILX.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-210504T0130Z/
Coles-
832 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL COLES COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been allowed to expire.  However hail and 
gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for
east central Illinois.

LAT...LON 3939 8813 3947 8831 3959 8827 3958 8803
      3949 8808
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 285DEG 25KT 3949 8813 

$$

37

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 7:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Coles, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie, Shelby	54 min
May 3, 7:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Moultrie	25 min
May 3, 7:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Christian, Shelby	42 min
May 3, 7:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clark, Coles, Edgar	63 min
May 3, 8:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Coles, Cumberland, Moultrie, Shelby	41 min
May 3, 8:53 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Coles	50 min
May 3, 9:02 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Clark, Cumberland, Effingham, Jasper	43 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.