Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Lincoln, IL

April 3, 2026Mason County, Tazewell County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Apr 3, 2026, 5:29 PM CDT for Mason County, Tazewell County, Illinois. It was in force for 31 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
Apr 3, 2026, 5:29 PM CDT (22:29 UTC)
Expired
Apr 3, 2026, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.0 in

Counties Mason County, IL, Tazewell County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:31 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 3, 5:18 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 92 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 2026-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2026-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 172 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1023 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
172 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

763 
WFUS53 KILX 032229
TORILX
ILC125-179-032300-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0039.260403T2229Z-260403T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
529 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Tazewell County in central Illinois...
  Northeastern Mason County in central Illinois...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 528 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Green Valley, or 12 miles south of Pekin, moving
  northeast at 20 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.  At 5:27 pm a trained weather 
           spotter reported a funnel cloud over Manito.

  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 dangerous storm will be near...
  South Pekin and Green Valley around 535 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4038 8947 4031 8972 4043 8983 4057 8966
TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 234DEG 17KT 4040 8971 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

MJA
1 follow-up statement
580 
WWUS53 KILX 032243
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
543 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

ILC125-179-032300-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-260403T2300Z/
Tazewell-Mason-
543 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL TAZEWELL AND NORTHEASTERN MASON COUNTIES...

At 543 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Green Valley, or 8 miles south of Pekin, moving
northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and two inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

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 dangerous storm will be near...
  South Pekin around 550 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Powerton.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4038 8947 4032 8968 4050 8974 4057 8966
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 234DEG 17KT 4044 8963 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

MJA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 2, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXPeoria, Tazewell51 min
Apr 2, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMarshall, Woodford31 min
Apr 3, 3:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXDeWitt, McLean39 min
Apr 3, 3:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign, McLean33 min
Apr 3, 3:55 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMcLean35 min
Apr 3, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Mason, Schuyler55 min
Apr 3, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXVermilion14 min
Apr 3, 4:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell51 min
Apr 3, 5:00 PM CDTTornado WarningILXLogan, Mason, Tazewell30 min
Apr 3, 5:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass, Morgan, Schuyler22 min
Apr 3, 5:49 PM CDTTornado WarningILXTazewell26 min
Apr 3, 6:09 PM CDTTornado WarningILXTazewell36 min
Apr 3, 6:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Mason, Tazewell47 min
Apr 3, 6:36 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMcLean, Tazewell39 min
Apr 3, 6:40 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMason, Tazewell35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes 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.