Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 145, NWS St. Louis, MO
NWS St. Louis, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 2026, 3:30 PM CDT for Clinton County, Illinois. It was in force for 60 min. 1 report 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
- May 16, 2026, 3:30 PM CDT (20:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 2026, 4:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS St. Louis, MO
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Possible
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
County Clinton County, IL
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 3:52 PM CDT | TSTM WND DMG | Carlyle, IL | Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from Carlyle. Awning to the Shell gas station blown over near 12th Street. Time estimated by radar. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 22 minutes after it went out.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 183 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
- 351 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -69 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1001 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -79 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 2 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- -0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.3
The text
As transmitted.
334
WUUS53 KLSX 162030
SVRLSX
ILC027-162130-
/O.NEW.KLSX.SV.W.0145.260516T2030Z-260516T2130Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
330 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Clinton County in south central Illinois...
* Until 430 PM CDT.
* At 330 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Breese,
moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Breese, St. Rose, Aviston, Germantown, Trenton and Albers around
330 PM CDT.
Jamestown around 335 PM CDT.
Beckemeyer around 345 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by the severe thunderstorm include
Stolletown, Huey, Keyesport and Ferrin.
This includes the following State Parks...
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.
Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. Seek shelter
immediately in an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built
structure.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 8914 3853 8971 3866 8971 3866 8960
3874 8960 3874 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 265DEG 17KT 3863 8955
TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
BRC4 follow-up statements
969
WWUS53 KLSX 162039
SVSLSX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
339 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
ILC027-162130-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0145.000000T0000Z-260516T2130Z/
Clinton IL-
339 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR
CLINTON COUNTY...
At 339 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Breese, moving
east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Breese, St. Rose, Germantown, Aviston and Jamestown around 340 PM
CDT.
Beckemeyer around 345 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by the severe thunderstorm include
Stolletown, Huey, Keyesport and Ferrin.
This includes the following State Parks...
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.
Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. Seek shelter
immediately in an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built
structure.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 8914 3853 8971 3854 8971 3866 8960
3867 8960 3874 8955 3874 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2030Z 265DEG 17KT 3863 8954
TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
BRC616
WWUS53 KLSX 162051
SVSLSX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
351 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
ILC027-162130-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0145.000000T0000Z-260516T2130Z/
Clinton IL-
351 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN CLINTON COUNTY...
At 351 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Shattuc, or 6
miles east of Carlyle, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
Northeastern Clinton County.
This includes the following State Parks...
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.
Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. Seek shelter
immediately in an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built
structure.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 8914 3854 8958 3874 8946 3874 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2039Z 270DEG 11KT 3863 8931
TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
BRC845
WWUS53 KLSX 162113
SVSLSX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
413 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
ILC027-162130-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0145.000000T0000Z-260516T2130Z/
Clinton IL-
413 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN CLINTON COUNTY...
At 413 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Shattuc, or 8
miles north of Centralia, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
Northeastern Clinton County.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 8914 3855 8939 3874 8922 3874 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2051Z 270DEG 11KT 3863 8926
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
BRC165 WWUS53 KLSX 162122 SVSLSX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service St Louis MO 422 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 ILC027-162132- /O.EXP.KLSX.SV.W.0145.000000T0000Z-260516T2130Z/ Clinton IL- 422 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 430 PM CDT FOR NORTHEASTERN CLINTON COUNTY... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT Saturday for a portion of south central Illinois. && LAT...LON 3856 8914 3855 8939 3874 8922 3874 8914 TIME...MOT...LOC 2113Z 270DEG 11KT 3863 8917 $$ BRC
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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 16, 1:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Additional scattered thunderstorms are possible (20-30%) this afternoon and evening. The main risk is large hail and damaging winds.
- Additional thunderstorm chances return early this week with a more widespread severe weather threat possible along a slow moving cold front Monday night into Tuesday.
Area forecast discussion, May 16, 1:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 121 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Additional scattered thunderstorms are possible (20-30%) this afternoon and evening. The main risk is large hail and damaging winds. - Additional thunderstorm chances return early this week with a more widespread severe weather threat possible along a slow moving cold front Monday night into Tuesday. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Late Sunday Night) Issued at 112 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 An upper level trough has moved onshore over the western CONUS, with a surface low over the Central High Plains and a warm front extending into Iowa. There was a secondary warm front/convergence zone draped along the I-70 corridor this morning, and this is what kicked off this morning's storms. These storms have reinforced a baroclinic zone across the CWA, with temps in the upper 60s across our north and pushing 80 in our south. As we move through the afternoon and into the evening, additional thunderstorm development will be largely focused to the north and west of the area, near the primary warm front. However, the above baroclinic zone may serve as a secondary focus for convection this afternoon, and a few of the most recent runs of the HRRR are hinting at that possibility. Given the weak forcing along this feature and lack of deep forcing, I don't expect widespread convection, but a few additional thunderstorms remain a possibility. If these storms do develop, MUCAPE around 2,500 J/kg and effective bulk shear around 30 kts may allow few of these storms to become strong enough the support large hail or damaging winds. The stronger convection expected to develop near NW MO should grow upscale and track to the ENE through the night. While previous runs of high-res guidance has largely kept these storms to our north, a few of the CAMs have begun pushing them a bit further south into our area. These storms may also pose a marginal threat for damaging winds and large hail as they diminish and move across NE MO and west-central IL this evening. Tomorrow, longwave troughing will amplify over the western CONUS, reinforcing deep southwesterly flow over the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Given the lack of any focused forcing for ascent, it appears likely that we'll see little to no precipitation and notably less cloud coverage than today. The increased insolation, coupled with the above deep southerly flow, should push temperatures quite a bit higher tomorrow. BSH && .LONG TERM... (Monday through Next Saturday) Issued at 112 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 A compact shortwave will eject from the western CONUS trough on Monday, spurring cyclogenesis over the Central Plains. The resultant forcing for ascent from central KS through Iowa and into the Great Lakes will force another round of thunderstorms, largely to the north and west of our forecast area. These areas will also feature strong dynamics, which coupled with a very unstable airmass, will result in scattered/numerous strong to severe thunderstorms. The atmosphere will also be rather unstable over the Mid-Mississippi Valley, but without any focused forcing, anything more than widely scattered thunderstorms appear unlikely. Additionally, much more modest wind shear on our CWA will limit storm organization and severe potential. Our best chance for severe weather through Tuesday morning will be tied to whether the storms that develop to our northwest are able to grow upscale and persist as they advance into our forecast area. A cold front associated with Monday's surface low is expected to push through the region on Tuesday. Ahead of the front, instability should build into the 1000-2000 J/kg range, which coupled with the front, will result in the best chance for thunderstorms in the extended forecast. While the SPC convective outlook continues to highlight our area on Tuesday, I do see a couple of factors that may limit the potential for severe thunderstorms. First of all, the best deep layer dynamics are expected to remain well to the north of our forecast area, limiting deep layer shear to around 30kts ahead of the front. Secondly, it's unclear how storms from Monday night and Tuesday morning will unfold across the area and whether the atmosphere can recover before the frontal passage. Even if we do recover, the above wind shear would be only marginally supportive for severe thunderstorms. With that, the 15% contour from SPC seems appropriate, but I would not expect that to increase much, barring a notable change in the models. The above cold front should push the deep moisture our of our region, with the vast majority of guidance keeping dewpoints below 60 through the end of the week. Persistent weak zonal flow aloft may open the door for a few weak shortwaves to move through the region, but the lack of moisture will keep precipitation chances limited. BSH && .AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Sunday Afternoon) Issued at 1216 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 The primary aviation concern are the ongoing storms near the STL metro and over NE MO and west-central IL. The storms near STL are rapidly decaying, but are still hanging onto some lightning. With that, I've just included an hour of -TSRA to cover the lightning threat, but no notable visby reduction as precipitation should be relative light. Further north, more robust convection has persisted generally just to the south and west of KUIN. Those storms should move over that terminal at some point in the first few hours of the TAF before gradually tapering off this afternoon. There will be a low (<30% chance) for storms through the afternoon, especially toward NE MO and west-central IL, before falling further this evening. Otherwise, VFR conditions should persist with southerly winds, becoming a bit gusty tomorrow. BSH && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && WFO LSX
Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 5:55 AM CDT, 9 hours 35 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service St Louis MO 555 AM CDT Sat May 16 2026 ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027- 034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-171100- Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Montgomery IL-Bond IL-Fayette IL-Clinton IL- Marion IL-Washington IL-Randolph IL-Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL- Calhoun IL-Jersey IL-Madison IL-Saint Clair IL-Monroe IL-Knox MO- Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO- Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-Callaway MO-Montgomery MO- Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint Charles MO-Franklin MO- Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-Jefferson MO-Crawford MO- Washington MO-Saint Francois MO-Sainte Genevieve MO-Iron MO- Madison MO-Reynolds MO- 555 AM CDT Sat May 16 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of eastern and central Missouri as well as west central and southwest Illinois. .DAYS ONE THROUGH SEVEN...Today through Friday. More detailed information can be accessed at: https://www.weather.gov/media/lsx/DssPacket.pdf The Area Forecast Discussion is available at: https://forecast.weather.gov/ product.php?issuedby=LSX&product=AFD&site=lsx .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected this morning with coverage forecast to gradually fade by this afternoon. The strongest storms could produce hail up to 1" and damaging wind gusts. - Thunderstorms are possible (20-30%) this afternoon and evening. The main risk is large hail with a lower potential for damaging winds. - Additional thunderstorm chances return early this week with a more widespread severe weather threat possible along a slow moving cold front Monday night into Tuesday. NOTE: Starting May 29, 2026, this outlook product will be discontinued. Please see the above products for more detailed forecast information. WFO LSX
The office that day
Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 10:02 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | LSX | Calhoun | 3 hr |
| May 16, 12:10 PM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | LSX | Pike | 3 hr |
| May 16, 12:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Adams | 14 min |
| May 16, 3:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Saint Clair | 40 min |
| May 16, 3:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Marion | 39 min |
| May 16, 3:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Clinton | 15 min |
| May 16, 4:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Fayette, Marion | 57 min |
| May 16, 4:17 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Marion | 43 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.