Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Chicago, IL
NWS Chicago, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2024, 2:04 PM CDT for Cook County, Lake County, Illinois. It was in force for 41 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, 2024, 2:04 PM CDT (19:04 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2024, 2:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 41 min
- Issued by
- NWS Chicago, IL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Cook County, IL, Lake County, IL
The radar
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:07 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 20, 12:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 3 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 230 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 598 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -113 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1343 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 9 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 27 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
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, 2:04 PM CDT, 0 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:04 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 12:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL
1245 PM CDT Mon May 20 2024
ILZ003>006-008-010>013-019>021-023-032-033-039-103>108-INZ001-002-
010-011-019-211745-
Winnebago-Boone-McHenry-Lake IL-Ogle-Lee-De Kalb-Kane-DuPage-
La Salle-Kendall-Grundy-Kankakee-Livingston-Iroquois-Ford-
Northern Cook-Central Cook-Southern Cook-Northern Will-
Southern Will-Eastern Will-Lake IN-Porter-Newton-Jasper-Benton-
1245 PM CDT Mon May 20 2024 /145 PM EDT Mon May 20 2024/
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.
.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.
Weather hazards expected...
Elevated Thunderstorm Risk...with an associated:
Limited Hail Risk...up to half dollar size.
Limited Damaging Wind Risk...up to 60 mph.
Limited Flooding Risk.
DISCUSSION...
Scattered thunderstorms are expected this afternoon. A few of
these storms could become severe, with the main threats being
large hail and locally damaging winds. While there is a severe
weather threat across the outlook area, the highest probabilities
are north of Interstate 80.
In addition, thunderstorms will be capable of producing torrential
downpours which could lead to some localized flooding, particularly
in more suburban and urban areas.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.
Tuesday...
Limited Thunderstorm Risk.
Tuesday night...
Significant Thunderstorm Risk with an:
Elevated Severe Thunderstorm Risk.
Limited Flooding Risk.
Friday through Sunday...
Limited Thunderstorm Risk.
DISCUSSION...
There is a chance for thunderstorms early Tuesday morning, mainly
across northern Illinois northwest of Interstate 55. There is
also a slight chance of thunderstorms area wide Tuesday afternoon
If any storms do occur during the day Tuesday, the threat of
severe weather appears rather low.
Additional thunderstorms are likely Tuesday evening into Tuesday
night. Some of these storms could become severe, with the
potential for damaging winds and perhaps brief tornadoes. While
there is a threat of severe weather across the entire outlook
area, the severe weather threat appears greatest near and west of
the Interstate 39 corridor.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotters may be needed this afternoon.
GENERAL STORM MOTION OF THE DAY:
Moving toward the east to northeast at around 25 mph.
LMZ740>745-211745-
Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL-
Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island IL-
Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor IL-
Calumet Harbor IL to Gary IN-Gary to Burns Harbor IN-
Burns Harbor to Michigan City IN-
1245 PM CDT Mon May 20 2024
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Illinois
nearshore waters of Lake Michigan and the Indiana nearshore
waters of Lake Michigan.
.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.
Weather hazards expected...
Elevated Thunderstorm Risk...with an associated:
Limited Hail Risk...up to half dollar size.
Limited Thunderstorm Wind Gust Risk...up to 50 knots.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.
Tuesday...
Hazardous conditions for small craft are likely.
Tuesday night...
Hazardous conditions for small craft are likely.
Elevated Thunderstorm Risk with a:
Limited Severe Thunderstorm Risk. Friday through Sunday...
Limited Thunderstorm Risk.
Kluber
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www.youtube.com/nwschicagoThe office that day
Everything else NWS Chicago, IL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 12:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT | Boone, DeKalb, Lee, McHenry, Ogle | 37 min |
| May 20, 2:17 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | LOT | 88 min | |
| May 20, 2:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT | Lake | 41 min |
| May 20, 2:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT | Cook, Will | 36 min |
| May 20, 2:56 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | LOT | 79 min | |
| May 20, 4:10 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LOT | Kankakee | 35 min |
| May 20, 5:48 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LOT | Iroquois | 27 min |
| May 20, 6:41 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LOT | Grundy | 34 min |
| May 20, 4:45 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LOT | Porter | 45 min |
| May 20, 6:04 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LOT | Jasper | 26 min |
| May 20, 6:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT | Jasper, Newton, Porter | 43 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2024Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024
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.