Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 41, NWS Lincoln, IL

April 3, 2026Tazewell County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Apr 3, 2026, 6:09 PM CDT for Tazewell County, Illinois. It was in force for 36 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 3, 2026, 6:09 PM CDT (23:09 UTC)
Expired: Apr 3, 2026, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 36 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 2.0 in

County Tazewell County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:09 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 3, 6:17 PM CDT	HAIL 1	3 Sse Tremont, IL
Apr 3, 6:35 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	3 Nnw Minier, IL	Spotter reports a funnel cloud southeast of his location, halfway between Mackinaw and Hopedale.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 3, 5:18 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 72 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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.

433 
WFUS53 KILX 032309
TORILX
ILC179-032345-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0041.260403T2309Z-260403T2345Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Tazewell County in central Illinois...

* Until 645 PM CDT.

* At 609 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Hopedale, or 12 miles south of Morton, moving east
  at 15 mph.

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

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.  This storm has a history of 
           producing brief tornadoes.

  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...
  Minier around 615 PM CDT.

This includes Interstate 155 between mile markers 22 and 24.
 
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 4059 8927 4040 8926 4038 8927 4038 8942
      4051 8949
TIME...MOT...LOC 2309Z 255DEG 15KT 4044 8943 

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

$$

MJA

1 follow-up statement

460 
WWUS53 KILX 032331
SVSILX

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

ILC179-032345-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-260403T2345Z/
Tazewell-
631 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL TAZEWELL COUNTY...

At 630 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Minier, or 13 miles southeast of Morton, moving east
at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size 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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
east central Tazewell County.

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 4043 8926 4042 8938 4054 8941 4059 8927
TIME...MOT...LOC 2330Z 255DEG 15KT 4046 8931 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

MJA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 2, 7:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Peoria, Tazewell	51 min
Apr 2, 7:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Marshall, Woodford	31 min
Apr 3, 3:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	DeWitt, McLean	39 min
Apr 3, 3:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, McLean	33 min
Apr 3, 3:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	McLean	35 min
Apr 3, 4:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton, Mason, Schuyler	55 min
Apr 3, 4:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Vermilion	14 min
Apr 3, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell	51 min
Apr 3, 5:00 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Logan, Mason, Tazewell	30 min
Apr 3, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Cass, Morgan, Schuyler	22 min
Apr 3, 5:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Mason, Tazewell	31 min
Apr 3, 5:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Tazewell	26 min
Apr 3, 6:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton, Mason, Tazewell	47 min
Apr 3, 6:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	McLean, Tazewell	39 min
Apr 3, 6:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Mason, Tazewell	35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.