Illinois, 1997

High Wind in Illinois, April 6, 1997

April 6, 1997 · NWS ILX · 29 events in 29 counties and zones

The combination of a strong area of low pressure over Lake Superior and a strong area of high pressure over Texas created very high gradient winds over Central Illinois. Sustained winds averaged between 25 and 40 mph with higher gusts to 65 mph in some areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 29 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
29

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.

The combination of a strong area of low pressure over Lake Superior and a strong area of high pressure over Texas created very high gradient winds over Central Illinois. Sustained winds averaged between 25 and 40 mph with higher gusts to 65 mph in some areas. These gradient winds blew down numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines throughout Central Illinois. In Lincoln (Logan County), one tree fell onto a house damaging a porch and deck. No injuries were reported in this incident. Meanwhile, in Galesburg (Knox County) another tree fell onto a house causing extensive roof damage and broke a window in the home, though no injuries were reported. Two miles northeast of Castleton (Stark County), the winds destroyed a two story barn and in Woodford County near El Paso a semi was blown over on US 24, but no injuries were reported. No damage estimates were available for this event.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

29 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Knox

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Coordinates
40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cass

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Champaign

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Champaign forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
40.140, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Christian

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Christian forecast zone
Coordinates
39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clark

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Coordinates
39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Coles

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Coles forecast zone
Coordinates
39.520, -88.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cumberland

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Cumberland forecast zone
Coordinates
39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, De Witt

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
De Witt forecast zone
Coordinates
40.175, -88.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Douglas

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates
39.770, -88.217 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Edgar

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Edgar forecast zone
Coordinates
39.679, -87.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Fulton

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Fulton forecast zone
Coordinates
40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Logan

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Logan forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Macon

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Macon forecast zone
Measured
49 kt (56 mph)
Coordinates
39.860, -88.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marshall

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates
41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mason

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Mason forecast zone
Coordinates
40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McLean

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
McLean forecast zone
Coordinates
40.491, -88.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Menard

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Menard forecast zone
Coordinates
40.027, -89.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morgan

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates
39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Moultrie

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Moultrie forecast zone
Coordinates
39.642, -88.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Peoria

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Peoria forecast zone
Measured
49 kt (56 mph)
Coordinates
40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Piatt

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Piatt forecast zone
Coordinates
40.010, -88.591 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sangamon

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Sangamon forecast zone
Measured
49 kt (56 mph)
Coordinates
39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Schuyler

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Schuyler forecast zone
Coordinates
40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Scott

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Coordinates
39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Shelby

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates
39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Stark

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Coordinates
41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tazewell

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates
40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Vermilion

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Vermilion forecast zone
Coordinates
40.183, -87.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Woodford

When
April 6, 9:15 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Woodford forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5600109, 5600110, 5600111, 5600112, 5600113, 5600114, 5600115, 5600116, 5600117, 5600118, 5600119, 5600120, 5600121, 5600122, 5600123, 5600124, 5600125, 5600126, 5600127, 5600128, 5600129, 5600130, 5600131, 5600132, 5600133, 5600134, 5600135, 5600136, 5600137.