Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 56, NWS St. Louis, MO

May 16, 2026Clinton County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2026, 3:56 PM CDT for Clinton County, Illinois. It was in force for 15 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
May 16, 2026, 3:56 PM CDT (20:56 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 2026, 4:11 PM CDT
In force
15 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Clinton County, IL

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:56 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
May 16, 3:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 2026-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 351 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 12:00Z on 2026-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -79 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

548 
WFUS53 KLSX 162056
TORLSX
ILC027-162130-
/O.NEW.KLSX.TO.W.0056.260516T2056Z-260516T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
356 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  East Central Clinton County in south central Illinois...

* Until 430 PM CDT.

* At 356 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Shattuc, or 8 miles east of Carlyle, moving east
  at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter 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 tornado will be near...
  Shattuc around 405 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Ferrin and Huey.

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 3859 8930 3866 8927 3867 8914 3854 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 270DEG 11KT 3862 8923

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

$$

19
1 follow-up statement
061 
WWUS53 KLSX 162111
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
411 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

ILC027-162121-
/O.CAN.KLSX.TO.W.0056.000000T0000Z-260516T2130Z/
Clinton IL-
411 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

...TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR EAST CENTRAL CLINTON COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However, small hail and
gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT
Saturday for a portion of south central Illinois.

&&

LAT...LON 3859 8930 3866 8927 3867 8914 3854 8914
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 269DEG 13KT 3862 8919

$$

BRC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 10:02 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLSXCalhoun3 hr
May 16, 12:10 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLSXPike3 hr
May 16, 12:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXAdams14 min
May 16, 3:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXSaint Clair40 min
May 16, 3:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXClinton60 min
May 16, 3:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXMarion39 min
May 16, 4:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXFayette, Marion57 min
May 16, 4:17 PM CDTTornado WarningLSXMarion43 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.