Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 3, 2021Macon County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2021, 6:42 PM CDT for Macon County, Illinois. It was in force for 33 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 3, 2021, 6:42 PM CDT (23:42 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2021, 7:15 PM CDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 1.75 in

County Macon County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:41 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 3, 2:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 54 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 460 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 56 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

478 
WFUS53 KILX 032342
TORILX
ILC115-040015-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0008.210503T2342Z-210504T0015Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Macon County in central Illinois...

* Until 715 PM CDT.

* At 642 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Harristown, or
  9 miles west of Decatur, moving east at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado and golf ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Weather spotters confirmed tornado.

  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.

* The tornado will be near...
  Harristown around 645 PM CDT.
  Decatur around 650 PM CDT.
  Mount Zion and Long Creek around 705 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Boody,
Elwin, Hervey City, Decatur Airport and Oakley.

This includes Interstate 72 between mile markers 127 and 144.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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 3966 8884 3979 8914 3980 8914 3980 8915
      3982 8919 3991 8917 3991 8877
TIME...MOT...LOC 2342Z 280DEG 27KT 3981 8911 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

37

2 follow-up statements

577 
WWUS53 KILX 040005
SVSILX

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

ILC115-040015-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-210504T0015Z/
Macon-
705 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN MACON COUNTY...
    
At 704 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Mount Zion, or
near Decatur, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and golf ball size hail.

SOURCE...Weather spotters confirmed tornado.

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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
southeastern Macon County, including the following locations...
Boody, Elwin, Hervey City, Decatur Airport and Oakley.

This includes Interstate 72 between mile markers 133 and 138.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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 3977 8909 3989 8904 3990 8877 3966 8884
TIME...MOT...LOC 0004Z 280DEG 27KT 3978 8889 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

37

251 
WWUS53 KILX 040024
SVSILX

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

ILC115-040033-
/O.EXP.KILX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-210504T0015Z/
Macon-
724 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MACON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
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
central Illinois.

LAT...LON 3977 8909 3989 8904 3990 8877 3966 8884
TIME...MOT...LOC 0023Z 280DEG 27KT 3976 8872 

$$

37

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 3:31 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Knox	29 min
May 3, 3:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass, Morgan, Schuyler	46 min
May 3, 4:10 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Schuyler	35 min
May 3, 4:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Fulton	30 min
May 3, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon, Schuyler	47 min
May 3, 4:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Cass, Morgan	25 min
May 3, 5:00 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Mason, Menard	30 min
May 3, 5:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Cass, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon	37 min
May 3, 5:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass, Logan, Mason, Menard	43 min
May 3, 5:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Morgan, Scott	33 min
May 3, 5:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	ILX	Menard, Sangamon	30 min
May 3, 5:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Logan, Menard, Sangamon	23 min
May 3, 6:02 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ILX	Logan	43 min
May 3, 6:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	ILX	Christian, Logan, Macon, Sangamon	29 min
May 3, 6:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Christian, Macon, Sangamon	53 min
May 3, 6:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Christian, Sangamon	51 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.