Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 6, 2001

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 6, 2001
Start: 2001-04-06T10:22
End: 2001-04-06T13:55
Location: Illinois

April 6, 2001 · NWS ILX · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $45,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 6, 9:43 AM CST, 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 6, 9:43 AM CST, 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1042 AM CDT THU APR 5 2001

MESOETA AND RUC MODELS FM 12Z BOTH SUGGESTED BOUNDARIES FM EARLIER
CONVECTION STILL ACRS ILX CWA...WITH SFC MOISTURE CONVERGENCE
APPARENT SOUTH OF MAIN SYNOPTIC SCALE FRONT. MAIN SURFACE FNT FM
SE IA TO JUST NORTH OF PIA...TO NRN IN ATTM. CONVECTION ALONG THIS
REMAINING MAINLY NORTH OF ILX CWA. INSTABILITY EXPECTED TO ENHANCE
ACRS CRL IL THIS AFTERNOON. THIS AND PRE-EXISTING BOUNDARIES (AT
LEAST TWO APPARENT OFF KILX 88D) WILL BRING CHANCE OF STORMS TO OUR
REGION AGAIN TODAY. BEST CHANCES TO REMAIN IN THE NORTH CLOSER TO
MAIN SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY WHERE CAP IS WEAKEST.

CURRENT ZONES HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THESE TRENDS FOR PERIOD ONE.
TEMPS STILL LOOK ON TRACK. ONLY PROBLEM AREA LOOKS TO BE WINDS...SO
UPDATE WL BE COMING OUT SHORTLY TO ADJUST WIND SPEEDS TODAY.

.ILX...NONE.

PLAHMER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 6, 5:00 AM CST, 5 hours 22 minutes before

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-061600-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
600 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2001

A WARM FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS PLUS PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY WILL HELP TO TRIGGER SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS TODAY.

SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-
70...SO SPOTTER A:CTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN THIS AREA FOR THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

BYRD

Special weather statement, Apr 6, 10:15 AM CST, 7 minutes before

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-071100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1115 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2001

A FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS IN COMBINATION WITH
ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL HELP TO TRIGGER SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING.

SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE...MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE
FROM ST. LOUIS TO DECATUR TO CHAMPAIGN. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE
NEEDED IN THIS REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

PLAHMER

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Stark

When: April 6, 10:22 AM CST to 10:25 AM CST
Where: Stark County, La Fayette
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.117, -89.967

Hail, McLean

When: April 6, 12:10 PM CST
Where: McLean County, Lexington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 40.650, -88.783

Thunderstorm Wind, McLean

When: April 6, 12:15 PM CST
Where: McLean County, 3 mi N of Colfax
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $45,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.617, -88.617

A barn was reported destroyed 3 miles north of Colfax, as well as minor damage to a house. The contents of the barn, including two loaded wagons, hay, straw and a antique potato planter, were all lost. Total damage for the location was estimated around $45,000.

Hail, Vermilion

When: April 6, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Vermilion County, Potomac
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.300, -87.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Vermilion

When: April 6, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Vermilion County, Hoopeston
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.467, -87.667

Thunderstorm Wind, Vermilion

When: April 6, 1:40 PM CST to 1:55 PM CST
Where: Vermilion County, Bismarck
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.267, -87.600

Numerous reports of damage were received in this area. Half of a 80-100 foot tree fell into a screened in porch and garage. A pole barn was destroyed 4 miles north northwest of Danville. Other reports around the area involved trees, tree limbs and power lines down. Dime size hail, several inches deep, was also reported just north of Danville. Minor damage was also noted to 3 residences and 2 outbuildings. Also, in Georgetown the winds caused minor damage to the high school roof. No damage figures were available at this time.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, April 2001

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: 5239580, 5239585, 5239584, 5239581, 5239582, 5239583.