Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 22, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 22, 2004
Start: 2004-07-22T12:35
End: 2004-07-22T13:20
Location: Illinois

July 22, 2004 · NWS LOT · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

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: 5

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.

On the morning of July 22, a cold front extended from central Great Lakes region, southwestward through southern Wisconsin and into central Iowa. Ahead of the frontal boundary, Northern Illinois and Indiana were very moist, humid and unstable. In the late morning hours, a line of thunderstorms crossed the Mississippi River into western Illinois. This line continued to develop eastward and by around 1:00PM began to enter Grundy and Will Counties. The storms had continued to intensify with their eastward progression and produced up to penny sized hail and wind gusts up to 55 kts. The line of storms then continued into northwestern Indiana and over southern Lake Michigan. Isolated incidents of significant tree and power line damage were also reported in the storm's path.

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 Jul 22, 11:45 AM CST, 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 11:45 AM CST, 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1245 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2004

.DISCUSSION...
THE MAIN ISSUE THIS PACKAGE WILL HOVER AROUND THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING DEALING WITH TSRA AND COLD FROPA. UNLIKE YESTERDAY
WHEN THE CWA DELT WITH WARM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AS FUNCTION OF
MID-LVL S/WV TROUGH PASSAGE AND ITS ATTENDANT SFC TROUGH, TODAYS
ACTIVITY APPEARS AS IF IT WILL BE A FUNCTION OF COLD FROPA GIVEN
THE FRONT WILL SERVE AS THE FOCI. THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES
TIMING BETWEEN FRONTAL PLACEMENT RELATIVE TO AN APPROACHING, YET
TEMPERED, MID-LVL S/WV TROUGH.

THE COLD FRONT SHOULD BE ADVANCING SOUTHWARD TODAY AND INTO THE
NORTHERN PORTION IL THIS AFTERNOON. SHORT-RANGE NWP DEPICTS HIT-
OR-MISS TS DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE NRN AND CNTRL PORTION OF THE
CWA BY 21Z THEN THE STORMS MOVE SOUTH SOUTHEAST WITH THE FRONT...
CLEARING THE SOUTHEASTERN TIER OF THE CWA BY 9 UTC. THIS SOLUTION
APPEARS REASONABLE GIVEN THE CURRENT PLACEMENT AND PROGRESSION OF
THE FRONT AND THE SLOWLY AMPLIFYING S/WV TROUGH. HAVE TIMED THE
ZONES ACCORDING ENDING PRECIP FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.

BEHIND TONIGHTS FROPA THE CWA WILL SEE A DRY AND RELATIVELY
COOL WEEKEND WITH A SLOW TEMPERATURE MODIFICATION INTO THE MIDDLE
OF NEXT WEEK. LEFT THE FAR EXTENDED PERIODS ALONE AS THERE IS
MUCH UNCERTAINTY WITH THE GFS AND ECWMF TOWARD THE EVOLUTION OF
A CLOSED LOW AND ITS SUBSEQUENT KICKER ACROSS THE NORTH
CNTRL CONUS.

&&

.AVIATION DISCUSSION REGARDING 18Z TAFS...

MAIN QUESTION WITH AFTN TAFS CONCERNS TSTM POTL OVR TERMINAL AREA.
1730 SATLT IMAGERY SHOWS TSTM CLUSTER CONTG TO PROPAGATE EWD ACRS
NRN  AND CNTRL IL.  MOST RAPID CONVECTION DVLPG S OF I-80 FROM
VYS...SWD INTO SPI VCTY.  THIS COMPLEX WILL LIKELY PROPAGATE SEWD TO
S OF TERMINALS...BUT MAY HAVE SOME SHWRS/TSTMS IN SRN PORTION OF CHI
AREA AND NWRN IN AS MORE STRATIFIED ANVIL PORTION OF CLUSTER PASSES
THROUGH ERLY-MID AFTN.  CIGS AND VIS MAY TEMPORARILY DROP INTO MVFR
RANGE...MNLY FROM ARR-MDW SWD.  AREA SHOULD GO VFR WITH JUST HI LVL
OVC BY LATER THIS AFTN.

OTHER FACTOR IS WIND DIRECTION. DFUS COLD FRONT NOW IN THE PROCESS
OF SAGGING SEWD THRU NRN IL.  THIS FRONT WILL BCM MORE WELL DEFINED
THRU AFTN AND EVENING SO VRBL WINDS UNDER 10 KTS TO BCM NLY-NELY BY
21-23Z...AND INCRS TO 10-15 KTS FROM NNE BY 03Z.

MERZLOCK

&&

.LOT...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.IL...NONE.
.IN...NONE.
.LK MI...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 22, 11:50 AM CST, 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1250 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2004

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>022-023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019
-231100-
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DU PAGE-COOK-
LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-
LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-
1250 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2004

THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

.DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT...FOR MOST
OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FORRESTON TO GENOA TO
EVANSTON AND IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE MAIN
SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE THREAT
OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH AFTER 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING...
HOWEVER A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE
NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/LOT (LOWER CASE)

LMZ740>746-766-231100-
WINTHROP HARBOR IL TO NEW BUFFALO MI-
LAKE MICHIGAN-
1250 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2004

THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS
AND INDIANA WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE
DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL
DIMINISH AFTER 6 PM CDT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE
NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/LOT (LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 22, 8:55 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
955 AM CDT THU JUL 22 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0950 AM     TSTM WND DMG     9 NW ROCHELLE           42.01N 89.19W
07/21/2004                   OGLE               IL   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN IN CHANA

1000 AM     TSTM WND DMG     ROCHELLE                41.92N 89.06W
07/21/2004                   OGLE               IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE LIMBS DOWN.

1000 AM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NNW ROCHELLE          42.00N 89.11W
07/21/2004                   OGLE               IL   PUBLIC

            LARGE LIMBS DOWN IN KINGS.

0400 PM     HAIL             MONTGOMERY              41.73N 88.34W
07/21/2004  0.88 INCH        KANE               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED AT ROUTE 30 AND ROUTE 31.

0415 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 W BOLINGBROOK         41.70N 88.12W
07/21/2004                   WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE LIMBS DOWN AT BOUGHTON AND WEBER ROAD.

0415 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BOLINGBROOK             41.70N 88.08W
07/21/2004                   WILL               IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN. ONE ON ROAD AT ROYCE AND CONCORD.

0418 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PLAINFIELD              41.62N 88.20W
07/21/2004                   WILL               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE FELL ONTO A POWER LINE.

0420 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NAPERVILLE              41.76N 88.15W
07/21/2004                   DUPAGE             IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            24 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWN.

0425 PM     FLOOD            AURORA                  41.77N 88.29W
07/21/2004                   KANE               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MINOR STREET FLOODING.

0425 PM     HAIL             5 S AURORA              41.70N 88.29W
07/21/2004  0.75 INCH        KENDALL            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

0426 PM     HAIL             ROMEOVILLE              41.65N 88.09W
07/21/2004  0.88 INCH        WILL               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED AT INTERSTATE 55 AND BUDLER ROADS

0427 PM     HAIL             ROMEOVILLE              41.65N 88.09W
07/21/2004  0.75 INCH        WILL               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

0428 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BOLINGBROOK             41.70N 88.08W
07/21/2004                   WILL               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE LIMBS DOWN NEAR BOUGHTON AND WEBER.

0430 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NAPERVILLE              41.76N 88.15W
07/21/2004                   DUPAGE             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            12 INCH DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES DOWN.

0433 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WOODRIDGE               41.74N 88.04W
07/21/2004                   DUPAGE             IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE LIMBS DOWN NEAR ROUTE 53 AND 75TH STREET.

0435 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LEMONT                  41.67N 87.99W
07/21/2004                   COOK               IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN AT MAIN AND COTLAND...MAIN AND 83.

0442 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WILLOWBROOK             41.76N 87.95W
07/21/2004                   DUPAGE             IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS TO 65-70 MPH. LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN.
            REPORTED NEAR INTERSTATE 55 AND ROUTE 83.

0455 PM     HAIL             CHICAGO                 41.88N 87.63W
07/21/2004  0.75 INCH        COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            64TH AND MAPLE IN CHICAGO LAWN.

0458 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CHICAGO RIDGE           41.70N 87.78W
07/21/2004                   COOK               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE LIMBS DOWN.

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BURBANK                 41.74N 87.77W
07/21/2004                   COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TREE LIMBS...TREES...POWER LINES...AND POWER POLES
            DOWN.

0500 PM     TSTM WND GST     CHICAGO                 41.88N 87.63W
07/21/2004  77 MPH           COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MEASURED AT 64TH AND MAPLE IN CHICAGO LAWN. LARGE TREE
            BRANCHES DOWN.

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ALSIP                   41.67N 87.74W
07/21/2004                   COOK               IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LARGE LIMBS AND SEVERAL TREES AND FLAGPOLES DOWN. WINDS
            ESTIMATED TO BE 70 MPH.

0501 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BRIDGEVIEW              41.74N 87.81W
07/21/2004                   COOK               IL   AMATEUR RADIO

            SEVEN INCH DIAMETER TREE SNAPPED IN HALF AT 87TH AND
            ROBERTS.

0514 PM     TSTM WND GST     GARY                    41.60N 87.34W
07/21/2004  60 MPH           LAKE               IN   SHIP

            PEAK WIND OF 52 KNOTS MEASURED AT TRUMP CASINO IN
            BUFFINGTON HARBOR.

0525 PM     FLOOD            HIGHLAND                41.55N 87.46W
07/21/2004                   LAKE               IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STREET FLOODING UP TO THE CURBS. SECTIONS OF 45TH STREET
            IMPASSIBLE.

0527 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E GARY                41.60N 87.32W
07/21/2004                   LAKE               IN   PUBLIC

            75 MPH WIND MEASURED ON HOME WIND GAGE. TREES...LIMBS AND
            POWER LINES DOWN.

0535 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PORTAGE                 41.59N 87.18W
07/21/2004                   PORTER             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES DOWN.

0535 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BEVERLY SHORES          41.69N 86.98W
07/21/2004                   PORTER             IN   PARK/FOREST SRVC

            20 FOOT TREE DONW ON THE ROAD AND LIMBS DOWN. REPORT FROM
            INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE.

0535 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND BEVERLY SHORES          41.69N 86.98W
07/21/2004  0 MPH            PORTER             IN   PARK/FOREST SRVC

            BOAT CAPSIZED 100 YARDS OFF BEVERLY SHORES BEACH. NO
            INJURIES.

0550 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 4 ENE BEVERLY SHORES    41.71N 86.91W
07/21/2004  75 MPH           LA PORTE           IN   C-MAN STATION

            MICHIGAN CITY GLERL OBSERVATION.

0553 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HOBART                  41.53N 87.27W
07/21/2004                   LAKE               IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            60 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED.

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 S SCHNEIDER           41.13N 87.45W
07/21/2004                   NEWTON             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON STATE ROAD 10.

0620 PM     HAIL             RENSSELAER              40.94N 87.15W
07/21/2004  1.00 INCH        JASPER             IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

0625 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MERRILLVILLE            41.47N 87.33W
07/21/2004                   LAKE               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE DAMAGE AND STOP LIGHT FIXTURE DAMAGE ON ROUTE 30.

0625 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MOROCCO                 40.95N 87.45W
07/21/2004                   NEWTON             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON 114.

0642 PM     HAIL             2 NW REMINGTON          40.78N 87.18W
07/21/2004  0.75 INCH        JASPER             IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WHEATFIELD              41.19N 87.05W
07/21/2004                   JASPER             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN WHEATFIELD.

&&

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:35 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Grundy

When: July 22, 12:35 PM CST to 12:40 PM CST
Where: Grundy County, 4 mi W of Morris
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.367, -88.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Will

When: July 22, 12:55 PM CST
Where: Will County, Plainfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 41.600, -88.200

Large tree limbs knocked down near Bronk Rd. and Caton Farm Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Will

When: July 22, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Will County, Joliet
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 41.533, -88.100

8 inch diameter tree limbs torn down at the intersection of Ridge Rd. and Manhattan Rd., west of Rt. 52.

Thunderstorm Wind, Will

When: July 22, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Will County, Crest Hill
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 41.567, -88.150

Large tree limbs down on Gaylord St., south of Division St.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kendall

When: July 22, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Kendall County, 3 mi NE of Yorkville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.667, -88.417

Power lines knocked down on Winding Creek and Oak Creek Rds, near Rt. 71 between Yorkville and Oswego.

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, July 2004

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: 5414286, 5414287, 5414356, 5414357, 5414358.