Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Watches
Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Illinois, 2026
57 severe thunderstorm watches in 2026. An alert counts here when it covered any part of the state, so the counties below add up to more than the state. The archive of severe thunderstorm watches reaches back to 1997.
Severe Thunderstorm Watches by county
Each county as a circle sized by its count in 2026. Tap one for its archive.
- Severe Thunderstorm Watches
- 57
- Busiest month
- July14 severe thunderstorm watches
- Busiest day
- April 27, 20263 severe thunderstorm watches
Over time
By month
The alerts
Every alert, in the order issued. Times are local, Central Time. Each opens its own page with the text, the map, the radar and the sounding.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 4, 2:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 13 more | 8 hr |
| Mar 6, 5:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Will | 4 hr |
| Mar 6, 10:28 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, Saint Clair | 5 hr |
| Mar 10, 5:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Jo Daviess and 11 more | 7 hr |
| Mar 15, 5:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston | 6 hr |
| Mar 22, 5:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar and 16 more | 6 hr |
| Mar 26, 4:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Brown, Bureau, Cass, Champaign, Christian and 44 more | 8 hr |
| Mar 30, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and 17 more | 6 hr |
| Mar 31, 9:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois and 7 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 13, 2:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Iroquois, Kankakee, Will | 5 hr |
| Apr 14, 11:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Mercer, Rock Island | 4 hr |
| Apr 15, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Fulton and 14 more | 4 hr |
| Apr 16, 2:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and 3 more | 7 hr |
| Apr 27, 4:07 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Calhoun, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene and 21 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 27, 8:31 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian and 37 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 27, 11:12 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Wabash | 8 hr |
| Apr 28, 1:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Jackson, Monroe, Pulaski, Randolph, Union | 6 hr |
| May 15, 10:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Carroll, Jo Daviess, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and 1 more | 4 hr |
| May 16, 3:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bond, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland and 15 more | 4 hr |
| May 18, 10:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook, Crawford and 19 more | 7 hr |
| May 31, 3:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Pulaski | 3 hr |
| Jun 1, 3:34 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, Randolph and 2 more | 4 hr |
| Jun 10, 12:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Henry, Jo Daviess and 9 more | 9 hr |
| Jun 10, 2:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cass, Champaign, Christian, Coles, Cook, DeWitt and 28 more | 4 hr |
| Jun 10, 8:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland and 19 more | 6 hr |
| Jun 11, 2:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and 1 more | 8 hr |
| Jun 11, 8:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, Jasper and 2 more | 5 hr |
| Jun 16, 3:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland and 9 more | 7 hr |
| Jun 17, 3:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Carroll, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Mercer, Rock Island and 2 more | 7 hr |
| Jun 24, 1:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and 18 more | 8 hr |
| Jun 27, 12:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson and 8 more | 7 hr |
| Jul 3, 11:52 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy and 9 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 3, 6:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and 23 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 4, 12:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Madison, Monroe, Randolph, Saint Clair | 6 hr |
| Jul 4, 12:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bureau, Champaign, Coles, Cook, DeWitt, Douglas and 23 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 6:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and 1 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 10, 2:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams | 5 hr |
| Jul 10, 6:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 17 more | 5 hr |
| Jul 18, 12:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Will | 5 hr |
| Jul 20, 5:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bureau, Cass, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry and 20 more | 5 hr |
| Jul 21, 1:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 9 more | 7 hr |
| Jul 26, 5:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clay, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin and 16 more | 7 hr |
| Jul 27, 11:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cook, DuPage, Iroquois, Kankakee, Lake, Will | 7 hr |
| Jul 27, 1:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Champaign, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas and 5 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 27, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Edwards, Wabash, White | 2 hr |
| Aug 7, 1:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Rock Island | 8 hr |
| Aug 9, 9:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry | 6 hr |
| Aug 9, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and 28 more | 7 hr |
| Aug 10, 6:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cook, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee and 2 more | 7 hr |
| Aug 11, 7:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb and 32 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 12, 6:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DeWitt, DuPage and 31 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 12, 2:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Edwards, Wabash | 5 hr |
| Aug 13, 5:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, Mercer, Warren | 6 hr |
| Aug 13, 12:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Champaign, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford and 11 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 18, 2:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Jo Daviess, Stephenson | 6 hr |
| Aug 19, 9:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and 1 more | 7 hr |
| Aug 21, 2:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and 29 more | 9 hr |
By county
Every county with at least one alert. A county page lists each alert that covered it.
- Kankakee County20
- Will County20
- Iroquois County19
- Ford County17
- Cook County17
- DuPage County17
- Livingston County16
- Grundy County15
- Kendall County14
- Kane County13
- Rock Island County13
- LaSalle County13
- DeKalb County12
- Lake County12
- McHenry County12
- Bureau County12
- Mercer County12
- Putnam County12
- Wabash County11
- Boone County11
- Jo Daviess County11
- Lee County11
- Whiteside County11
- Champaign County11
- Henry County11
- McLean County11
- Tazewell County11
- Vermilion County11
- Alexander County10
- Edwards County10
- Pulaski County10
- Carroll County10
- Ogle County10
- Stephenson County10
- Winnebago County10
- Coles County10
- Edgar County10
- Marshall County10
- Woodford County10
- Johnson County9
62 more counties
- Massac County9
- Pope County9
- Union County9
- White County9
- Clark County9
- Crawford County9
- Cumberland County9
- Jasper County9
- Lawrence County9
- Douglas County9
- Peoria County9
- Stark County9
- Hamilton County8
- Hardin County8
- Saline County8
- Richland County8
- Logan County8
- Moultrie County8
- Piatt County8
- Franklin County7
- Gallatin County7
- Wayne County7
- Williamson County7
- Monroe County7
- Clay County7
- Effingham County7
- DeWitt County7
- Knox County7
- Jackson County6
- Jefferson County6
- Randolph County6
- Saint Clair County6
- Fulton County6
- Henderson County6
- Macon County6
- Mason County6
- Shelby County6
- Warren County6
- Perry County5
- Madison County5
- Cass County5
- Hancock County5
- McDonough County5
- Menard County5
- Morgan County5
- Sangamon County5
- Calhoun County4
- Jersey County4
- Christian County4
- Schuyler County4
- Scott County4
- Washington County4
- Adams County3
- Clinton County3
- Fayette County3
- Marion County3
- Brown County2
- Pike County2
- Greene County2
- Bond County2
- Macoupin County2
- Montgomery County1
The busiest days
Days with the most alerts issued, by UTC date.
Nearby
Sources
National Weather Service watches, warnings, advisories and statements from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's VTEC archive, which reconstructs tornado, severe thunderstorm, flash flood and marine warnings back to 1986 from the NWS text archive. Storm Prediction Center watches and mesoscale discussions from SPC's archive through the Mesonet. County centers from the US Census Bureau. Warning verification from the Mesonet's Cow. Rebuilt daily.