Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 213, NWS Lincoln, IL
NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2026, 10:20 AM CDT for 5 counties in Illinois. It was in force for 40 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 18, 2026, 10:20 AM CDT (15:20 UTC)
- Expired
- May 18, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lincoln, IL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Champaign County, IL, Douglas County, IL, Macon County, IL, Moultrie County, IL, Piatt County, IL
The radar
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:20 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 18, 10:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 30 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
- 850 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -80 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 966 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 301 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 331 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.8
- Supercell composite
- 8.8
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 Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 18, 10:11 AM CDT, 9 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 10:11 AM CDT, 9 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 5:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>051-191100- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler- Mason-Logan-De Witt-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon- 500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A broken line of thunderstorms will advance eastward to the I-55 corridor this morning with a risk for scattered damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail. A second line of thunderstorms associated with an approaching cold front will arrive late tonight. There is a continued risk for damaging wind gusts and hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms will continue into early afternoon Tuesday. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for damaging wind gusts and hail. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed through noon today. Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 35 mph. ILZ044>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-191100- Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles- Edgar-Shelby-Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay- Richland-Lawrence- 500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A broken line of thunderstorms will advance into east-central and southeast IL late this morning through afternoon with a risk for scattered damaging wind gusts, isolated large hail, and a tornado or two. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Another round of strong to severe thunderstorms is anticipated Tuesday morning through evening as a cold front pushes through the region. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for damaging wind gusts and hail. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed late morning through afternoon today. Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 35 mph. 37
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 18, 9:26 AM CDT, 54 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 18, 9:39 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 18, 9:54 AM CDT, 26 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 18, 9:59 AM CDT, 21 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 18, 10:01 AM CDT, 19 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 18, 10:06 AM CDT, 14 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 18, 8:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Fulton, Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell | 39 min |
| May 18, 9:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | McLean, Marshall, Woodford | 22 min |
| May 18, 9:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | DeWitt, Macon, Piatt | 39 min |
| May 18, 9:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Coles, Douglas, Edgar | 46 min |
| May 18, 9:49 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Christian, Macon, Shelby | 41 min |
| May 18, 10:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Clay, Effingham, Jasper | 47 min |
| May 18, 11:24 AM CDT | Flood Watch | ILX | Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas and 7 more | 11 hr |
| May 18, 11:54 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | ILX | Clay, Effingham, Jasper | 6 hr |
| May 18, 12:12 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | ILX | Clay, Richland | 7 days |
| May 18, 1:44 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Clay, Effingham, Jasper | 4 hr |
| May 18, 2:52 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Clay | 3 hr |
| May 18, 3:23 PM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | ILX | Clay, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland | 3 hr |
| May 18, 5:50 PM CDT | Areal Flood Warning | ILX | Clay, Effingham, Jasper | 15 hr |
| May 18, 5:58 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | ILX | Lawrence | 4 days |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every severe thunderstorm 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.