Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 10, 2003

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 10, 2003
Start: 2003-05-10T21:32
End: 2003-05-10T23:00
Location: Illinois

May 10, 2003 · NWS LOT · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved northeast across northern Illinois during the late evening hours of May 10th. S.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 LOT wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms moved northeast across northern Illinois during the late evening hours of May 10th. Penny size hail was reported along U.S. 38 near Cortland in Dekalb county and along U.S. 38 near Maple Park in Kane county. Several reports of wind damage were reported in Plainfield and Joliet in Will county. Three utility poles were snapped off in Plainfield and two cars were damaged by falling trees. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. A gust to 75 mph was reported at Interstate 55 and Plainfield/Naper Road. A funnel cloud was reported at Route 53 and Interstate 88 in Lisle in Dupage county. In De Kalb county, trees were reported down in Waterman and roof shingles were reported blown off in Lee, about 3.5 miles northwest of Shabbona. In Livingston county, several utility poles were snapped along Historic Route 66 across from Interstate 55 mile marker 207, just south of Odell. In Schaumburg in Cook county, numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down, a construction trailer was overturned and a metal shed was destroyed. Many reports of hail up to the size of half dollars were received. Large trees were blown down in Coal City in Grundy county.

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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 10, 5:00 PM CST, 4 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 5:00 PM CST, 4 hours 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
600 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 00Z TAFS...
SFC LOW FAR S CNTRL IA TO CONT RAPID DEEPENING TONIGHT AS IT MOVS TO
SW WI BY 06Z AND TO NE WI BY 12Z WITH UPR LOW CLOSING OFF OVER NRN
NEB/SE SD AS 120KY JET PUNCHES NEWRD INTO UPER MIDWEST. SQ LN
RAPIDLY FILLING FM SE IA TO NW AR AHEAD OF CDFNT. CELLS MOVG NE AT
60KT WITH LN MOVG E AT 40KT. LN ARRIVAL TIME STILL EXPECTED 01-02Z
RFD VC...02-03Z CHI VC...03-04Z GYY VC WITH VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN
QUICKLY SPREADING FM CNTRL INTO NRN IL. CONT G45KT WITH TSRA GIVEN
MDL FCST OF 40KT WNDS WITHIN 2K FT OF SFC DURG EVE. THIS VERIFYING
WITH WINCHESTER PROFILER MEASURING 30KT AT 750M AGL AT 22Z. BRIEF
CLRG WITH CFP THEN MVFR SC DECK RAPIDLY MOVS IN OVRNGT. STG
UNIDIRECTIONAL FLOW TOMORROW...UP TO 50KTS WITHIN 2K FT OF SFC PER
MDL SOUNDINGS...WILL RESULT IN VRY GUSTY WSW WNDS...WITH CHC -SHRA
IN WRAP AROUND MOISTURE.

TRS

DISCUSSION FOR AFTERNOON GRIDS...

HIGH THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER ASSOCIATED WITH EARLIER RW/TRW
DISSPIPATED AROUND NOON ALLOWING STRONG HEATING THROUGH THE COURSE
OF THE AFTERNOON. DEWPOINTS THROUGH SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF AREA HAVE
CLIMBED INTO MIDDLE AND UPPER 60S. AIRMASS IS PRIMED FOR STRONG
FORCING WITH ARRIVAL OF DEEPENING SURFACE LOW NOW AROUND MKC AND
MOVING TO INFLUENCE AREA THIS EVENING. EXPECT ACTIVITY TO BEGIN IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

SURFACE LOW CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AFTER PASSAGE TO THE NORTHEAST LATE
TONIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING. TIGHTENING GRADIENT WILL BRING STRONG WINDS
IN 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE ALONG WITH NOTICEALBLY COOLER AIRMASS.
INSTABILITY SHOWERS IN THE COLD AIR WILL BE LIKELY IN THE NORHTERN
SECTIONS BUT LIMITED TO A CHANCE IN THE SOUTH. WINDS SHOULD STAY AOB
20 MPH UNTIL EARLY MONDAY AS LOW BEGINS TO FILL AND MOVE NORTHEAST
OF GEORGIAN BAY.

SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS ACORSS CENTRAL US THROUGH WENDESDAY WHILE WEAK
SURFACE LOW DEVELOP ON SOUTHER PLAINS AND BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
WED.

.CHI...GALE WARNING SOUTH 2/3 LAKE MICHIGAN SUNDAY AND MONDAY

Hazardous weather outlook, May 10, 7:15 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019-020>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019
-111100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
815 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST INDIANA...AND THE ADJACENT WATERS OF LAKE
MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE... TONIGHT

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE
ENTIRE AREA. TORNADIC STORMS IN WESTERN ILLINOIS ARE SPREADING
NORTHEAST THIS VERY MOMENT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS WEATHER SITUATION
THAT IS NOW UNDERWAY.

YOU SHOULD HAVE EMERGENCY PLANS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW IN CASE YOU ARE
IN A TORNADO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...OR FLASH FLOOD WARNING.
EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD NOW BE IN PREPARATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...
TELEVISION OR RADIO FOR STATEMENTS AND UPDATES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

STRONG WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL OCCUR MOST OF
THE DAY SUNDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE NEEDED AT THIS MOMENT UNTIL THE STORMS CLEAR THE AREA
AFTER 2 AM SUNDAY.

&&

           NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE

    HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/LOT (LOWER CASE)
OR  HTTP://WEATHER.NOAA.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE)

BRUMER

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 10, 9:12 PM CST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1012 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1005 PM    SHERIDAN                  IL   .75 INCH HAIL
05/10/03   LASALLE                        RTE 52 1 MILE EAST OF
                                          RTE 71. REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO OPERATOR.

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:33 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, De Kalb

When: May 10, 9:32 PM CST
Where: De Kalb County, Cortland
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 41.917, -88.683

Hail, Kane

When: May 10, 9:32 PM CST
Where: Kane County, Maple Park
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 41.900, -88.600

Thunderstorm Wind, De Kalb

When: May 10, 9:35 PM CST
Where: De Kalb County, Waterman
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.767, -88.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Will

When: May 10, 9:40 PM CST to 9:50 PM CST
Where: Will County, Plainfield
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.600, -88.200

Thunderstorm Wind, De Kalb

When: May 10, 9:50 PM CST
Where: De Kalb County, 4 mi NW of Shabbona
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.800, -88.917

Hail, Du Page

When: May 10, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Du Page County, Lombard
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.883, -88.017

Hail, Kane

When: May 10, 10:00 PM CST to 10:10 PM CST
Where: Kane County, West Dundee
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.100, -88.283

Thunderstorm Wind, Livingston

When: May 10, 10:05 PM CST
Where: Livingston County, Odell
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.000, -88.517

Thunderstorm Wind, Cook

When: May 10, 10:10 PM CST to 10:13 PM CST
Where: Cook County, Schaumburg
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.033, -88.083

Hail, Cook

When: May 10, 10:13 PM CST to 10:15 PM CST
Where: Cook County, Streamwood
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.033, -88.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Grundy

When: May 10, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Grundy County, Coal City
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.283, -88.283

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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, May 2003

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: 5358596, 5358597, 5358602, 5358598, 5358603, 5358599, 5358600, 5358606, 5358604, 5358601, 5358605.