Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 359, NWS Lincoln, IL

August 13, 2026Crawford County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 13, 2026, 5:10 PM CDT for Crawford County, Illinois. It was in force for 37 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
Aug 13, 2026, 5:10 PM CDT (22:10 UTC)
Expired
Aug 13, 2026, 5:47 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Crawford County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:13 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, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 146 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2026-08-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 882 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2026-08-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 60 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
882 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-129 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
746 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Aug 13, 2:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Flash flooding is a concern along and north of the I-74 corridor overnight. HREF probabilities of more than 2 inches of rain are 30-50% in this area, although some local totals over 3 inches are possible.
  • Heat index values of 100 to 105 degrees will continue into the weekend each afternoon, in areas near and south of I-70. The heat is expected to spread northward across the forecast area by Saturday.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 2:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
236 PM CDT Thu Aug 13 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Flash flooding is a concern along and north of the I-74
  corridor overnight. HREF probabilities of more than 2 inches
  of rain are 30-50% in this area, although some local totals
  over 3 inches are possible.

- Heat index values of 100 to 105 degrees will continue into the
  weekend each afternoon, in areas near and south of I-70. The
  heat is expected to spread northward across the forecast area
  by Saturday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 235 PM CDT Thu Aug 13 2026

MCS that tracked out of Iowa earlier today intensified again as
it crossed the Peoria metro, producing winds around 70 mph and
extensive damage in Bloomington. Cluster of storms has reached
the Champaign area this hour, with the trailing outflow
extending west through Springfield. Storms are riding along a
tight gradient of CAPE and should exit the forecast area in the
next few hours.

Next MCS is expected to begin developing this evening closer to
the warm front from Iowa to northern Indiana, then sink
southward overnight. Precipitable water values over 2 inches
persist through the night, and some of the northern parts of our
forecast area have seen a few inches of rain since yesterday.
HREF PMM precip estimates suggest 1.5-2 inches of rain in 6
hours between midnight and sunrise, and no changes are being
made to the Flood Watch at this time. South half of the forecast
area has a good chance of remaining dry until closer to
daybreak.

Heat forecasts remain a concern as well. Latest guidance
suggests 100-105 heat index could reach as far north as a
Rushville-Paris line tomorrow, but the extent of the lingering
rain/cloud shield introduces some uncertainty as to whether or
not to expand the Heat Advisory. Current inclination is to leave
it in place and allow the next shift to expand it, once the
timing and track of the MCS becomes more certain. An expansion
for the entire forecast area appears more likely for Saturday.

A quick look at the extended forecast -- upper pattern becomes
more zonal for a time as high pressure sprawls more west-east
across the southern U.S. Getting into early next week, riding
amplifies west of the Rockies as a strong upper trough swings
across the Canadian Prairies and the north central U.S. Impacts
from that in our area would be more likely toward the middle of
next week. A couple days of cooler temperatures are likely
early next week, before warming begins again.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1243 PM CDT Thu Aug 13 2026

Cluster of severe storms just passed KPIA and will likely make
it to KBMI shortly after 18z if they hold together. Another
round of storms is expected to develop across northern Illinois
this evening and sink southward, though arrival at the northern
terminals (KPIA/KBMI) would probably be closer toward 07-09z or
so. These would be accompanied by deteriorating ceilings from
north to south overnight, with MVFR conditions most likely from
KPIA-KCMI. Southern extent is more questionable, but heavier
showers may result in some brief visibility drops into that
range.

&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch through Friday morning for ILZ027>031-037-038-045-
046.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Sunday for ILZ066>068-071>073.

&&

KEY MESSAGES...Geelhart
DISCUSSION...Geelhart
AVIATION...
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 13, 3:04 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
304 PM CDT Thu Aug 13 2026

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-142015-
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-
Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence-
304 PM CDT Thu Aug 13 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east
central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Heat indices of 95 to 110 are expected this afternoon south of I-72.

Additional thunderstorms are expected late tonight into Friday
morning with damaging winds and large hail possible with any
stronger storms. Heavy rain could locally exceed 3 inches and produce
localized flooding. Areas for strong to severe storms and flooding
will be most likely near and north of I-74

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hot and humid conditions will expand northward through late week.
Peak afternoon heat indices will range from 100 to 110 Friday and
Saturday, and Sunday from I-72 southward.

Daily chances for thunderstorms exist through the weekend, although
these will be mainly north of I-72 Friday afternoon through Sunday
morning. Some of these storms could be severe and produce heavy rain
through at least Saturday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed late tonight.

Expected storm motion is toward the east around 30 mph.

37

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 13, 4:21 PM CDT, 49 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 13, 4:44 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 13, 4:47 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 13, 4:58 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 13, 5:05 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 12:32 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryILXChristian, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham and 7 more4 days
Aug 13, 2:02 AM CDTFlood WatchILXChampaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas and 13 more36 hr
Aug 13, 2:29 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryILXChampaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Fulton, Knox and 11 more7 hr
Aug 13, 11:08 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementILXKnox52 min
Aug 13, 12:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementILXFulton, Knox, Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell45 min
Aug 13, 12:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell66 min
Aug 13, 12:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford44 min
Aug 13, 12:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXDeWitt, Logan, McLean, Macon, Woodford55 min
Aug 13, 1:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatILXChampaign, DeWitt, McLean, Piatt, Vermilion65 min
Aug 13, 1:34 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILXMcLean, Woodford2 hr
Aug 13, 1:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign, Douglas, Edgar, Piatt, Vermilion64 min
Aug 13, 2:10 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXChampaign, DeWitt, McLean, Piatt2 hr
Aug 13, 2:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXVermilion39 min
Aug 13, 2:47 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXChampaign, Vermilion2 hr
Aug 13, 2:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXEdgar, Vermilion22 min

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.