Alert archive / Illinois / Dust Storm Warnings in 2026
Dust Storm Warning 7, NWS Lincoln, IL
NWS Lincoln, IL issued this dust storm warning at May 4, 2026, 3:14 PM CDT for 5 counties in Illinois. It was in force for 2 hr. 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 4, 2026, 3:14 PM CDT (20:14 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 2026, 5:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Lincoln, IL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Champaign County, IL, DeWitt County, IL, Macon County, IL, McLean County, IL, Piatt County, IL
The radar
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:17 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 nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 9 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1708 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 121 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 231 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this dust storm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this dust storm warning went out at May 4, 2:50 PM CDT, 24 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 4, 2:50 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 2:56 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 256 PM CDT Mon May 4 2026 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061-051100- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler- Mason-Logan-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Cass-Menard-Scott- Morgan-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby- 256 PM CDT Mon May 4 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Late This Afternoon and Tonight. Gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph will combine with loose top soil to create areas of blowing dust this afternoon. This is most likely north of I-72 and Danville, where morning rainfall was minimal. The blowing dust may reduce visibilities to less than 1/2 mile at times. Conditions should improve around 7 pm when wind speeds are reduced. Scattered thunderstorms are expected late afternoon into tonight, as a cold front sweeps through the area. Some of these may be severe, with hail being the primary concern. Most of the hail should be the size of quarters, but west central Illinois may see some as large as golf balls. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. A few thunderstorms may linger into Tuesday over east central Illinois, though severe weather is not expected. Minor flooding will continue along the Illinois River from Havana to Beardstown into early next week, though river levels will slowly fall during this period. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed after 7 pm. Expected storm motion is toward the east at 45 mph. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-051100- Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 256 PM CDT Mon May 4 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Late This Afternoon and Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms will redevelop this afternoon, and continue into tonight. A few of the storms may be strong or locally severe, with damaging gusts up to 60 mph and hail up to 1 inch the primary severe weather threat. Lingering flooding on the lower Embarras River and Wabash River should subside today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms are still possible Tuesday into Tuesday evening. Severe weather is not expected with any of these storms at this time. Minor flooding on the Little Wabash River near Clay City will continue for several more days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. Expected storm motion is toward the east at 45 mph. Geelhart
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 4, 11:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 10:20 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Clay | 25 min |
| May 3, 10:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Christian, Shelby | 30 min |
| May 3, 11:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Christian, Shelby | 23 min |
| May 4, 2:37 AM CDT | Blowing Dust Advisory | ILX | Cass, Champaign, Christian, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas and 14 more | 16 hr |
| May 4, 2:54 PM CDT | Dust Storm Warning | ILX | DeWitt, Logan, McLean, Macon | 2 hr |
| May 4, 3:32 PM CDT | Dust Storm Warning | ILX | McLean | 88 min |
| May 4, 5:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Knox | 44 min |
| May 4, 6:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Knox, Peoria, Stark | 24 min |
Nearby
Dust Storm Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every dust storm warning in 2026
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.