Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 26, NWS St. Louis, MO

April 17, 2026Jersey County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at Apr 17, 2026, 10:26 PM CDT for Jersey County, Illinois. It was in force for 19 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 17, 2026, 10:26 PM CDT (03:26 UTC)
Expired
Apr 17, 2026, 10:45 PM CDT
In force
19 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Jersey County, IL

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:31 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 17, 3:31 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 3.4 hours before the alert went out and 196 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 00:00Z on 2026-04-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1309 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2026-04-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-103 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1221 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
264 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
8.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

181 
WFUS53 KLSX 180326
TORLSX
ILC083-180345-
/O.NEW.KLSX.TO.W.0026.260418T0326Z-260418T0345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1026 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Jersey County in southwestern Illinois...

* Until 1045 PM CDT.

* At 1026 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located over Grafton, or 9 miles southwest of
  Jerseyville, moving east at 50 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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 tornado will be near...
  Grafton around 1030 PM CDT.
  Godfrey around 1035 PM CDT.
  Brighton around 1040 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Otterville, McClusky
and Delhi.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from 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 3897 9045 3906 9049 3913 9015 3900 9015
      3900 9014 3899 9027 3898 9027 3896 9042
      3896 9043 3897 9044
TIME...MOT...LOC 0326Z 255DEG 41KT 3900 9042

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

BRC
2 follow-up statements
915 
WWUS53 KLSX 180335
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1035 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

ILC083-180345-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-260418T0345Z/
Jersey IL-
1035 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN JERSEY COUNTY...

At 1035 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 6 miles northwest of Godfrey, moving east at 50 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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 tornado will be near...
  Godfrey and Brighton around 1040 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Delhi and McClusky.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from 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 3900 9040 3906 9038 3913 9015 3900 9015
      3900 9027 3898 9027 3896 9040
TIME...MOT...LOC 0326Z 255DEG 42KT 3900 9040

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

BRC
526 
WWUS53 KLSX 180345
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1045 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

ILC083-180355-
/O.EXP.KLSX.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-260418T0345Z/
Jersey IL-
1045 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

...TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR SOUTHEASTERN JERSEY COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for a portion of
southwest Illinois.

&&

LAT...LON 3900 9040 3906 9038 3913 9015 3900 9015
      3900 9027 3898 9027 3896 9040
TIME...MOT...LOC 0335Z 255DEG 42KT 3903 9028

$$

BRC

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 17, 7:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatLSXAdams, Brown, Pike54 min
Apr 17, 8:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXBrown, Pike17 min
Apr 17, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXCalhoun48 min
Apr 17, 9:50 PM CDTTornado WarningLSXCalhoun25 min
Apr 17, 10:02 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXAdams12 days
Apr 17, 10:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXJersey, Madison31 min
Apr 18, 12:05 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXAdams21 days
Apr 18, 12:05 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXAdams9 hr

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.