Showers and thunderstorms developed across central Illinois during the afternoon hours of January 7th. The airmass across the region was unseasonably warm and humid, and contributed to several of the thunderstorms becoming severe with one tornado, damaging wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rainfall.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.
Showers and thunderstorms developed across central Illinois during the afternoon hours of January 7th. The airmass across the region was unseasonably warm and humid, and contributed to several of the thunderstorms becoming severe with one tornado, damaging wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rainfall.
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 Jan 7, 2:56 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 256 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 256 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 THE STRONG SPRING-LIKE STORM SYSTEM FOR TONIGHT AND TUESDAY IS THE MAIN CONCERN. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS...AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 03Z. THERE ALSO IS A FLOODING POTENTIAL WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE. CONSIDERING A FLOOD WATCH FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM SPI TO CMI. THEN ATTENTION TURNS TO A SYSTEM FOR THURSDAY AND ANOTHER ON SUNDAY. OUR CWA REMAINS IN VERY WARM AIR...WITH A SHARP DROP OFF JUST TO THE NORTHWEST IN IOWA...ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY. A FEW SPOTS ARE CLOSE TO BREAKING THEIR RECORD WARM LOW FOR TODAY. THOSE SAME LOCATIONS WILL MOST LIKELY BE JUST SHY OF THE RECORD HIGHS. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER...CLOSER TO THE STATIONARY FRONT. WIND SHEAR IS INCREASING ACROSS OUR WESTERN CWA...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE ERUPTING IN THE INSTABILITY AXIS. THE STRONG BULK SHEAR WILL AID IN PRODUCING SOME ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER. HAIL AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ADDITION TO A FEW TORNADOES...PRIMARILY NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO BLOOMINGTON. THE THREAT WILL SHIFT EASTWARD LATER TONIGHT...AS THE SURFACE LOW IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO MOVES QUICKLY UP THE BOUNDARY TOWARD WESTERN ILLINOIS. ENHANCED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IS EXPECTED ALONG WITH AN EROSION OF THE STABLE LOW BOUNDARY LAYER. SURFACE BASED CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP...INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR DAMAGING WINDS TO REACH THE GROUND. THE MODELS HAVE CONVERGED TOWARD A SLIGHTLY SLOWER EASTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THIS APPEARS REASONABLE...BASED ON THE TIMING AND PATH OF THE NEXT SURFACE LOW...A BIT FARTHER WEST THAN THE LAST MODEL RUNS. THAT WILL MOST LIKELY KEEP THE HEAVIER RAINS OUT OF OUR SOUTHEASTERN AREAS UNTIL LATE TONIGHT OR TUESDAY MORNING. THEREFORE...I PULLED POPS BACK TO LIKELY SOUTH OF I-70 TONIGHT...WITH CATEGORICAL POPS ON TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS APPEAR TO BE TONIGHT...BEFORE THE SURFACE LOW MOVES OVER OUR CWA ON TUESDAY. TRAINING STORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY NW OF SPI TO CMI TONIGHT...AS THE BOUNDARY MAKES ONLY SLOW PROGRESS EASTWARD. SOME HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTHEAST OF SPI TO CMI...MAINLY LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...AS THE LOW PULLS OUT OF ILLINOIS AND MOVES THE FRONT EASTWARD. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE LESS TRAINING OF STORMS FOR A PROLONGED TIME FOR THE SOUTHEAST...AS THE FRONT WILL BE MAKING STEADY MOVEMENT EASTWARD BY TUE AFTERNOON. COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO WRAP IN ON THE NW SIDE OF THE SYSTEM TUESDAY EVENING...BUT PRECIP WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN BY THEN...SO VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MEASURABLE SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR AREAS NW OF THE ILL RIVER. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A BREAK IN THE ACTION IS EXPECTED FOR WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER ILLINOIS...AND PROVIDES SOME SUNSHINE. CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON THE TRACK OF THE NEXT SURFACE LOW FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THE 12Z GFS NOW TAKES THE LOW DIRECTLY OVER OUR CWA THUR AFTERNOON. THAT IS THE THIRD DIFFERENT SOLUTION OVER THE LAST 3 DAYS. THE ECMWF HAS BEEN A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT IN KEEPING THE LOW SOUTH OF OUR AREA...AND PULLING AN INVERTED TROUGH ACROSS OUR CWA. THERE IS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO MAKE MANY CHANGES TO THE GOING LOW POP FORECAST FOR THUR AND THUR NIGHT. IT APPEARS MOST OF THE CWA WILL BE TOO WARM FOR SNOW...BUT THE TRACK OF THE LOW WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE RAIN SNOW LINE. SOME DIFFERENCES REMAIN BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF FOR THE SUNDAY SYSTEM AS WELL. THEY DO AGREE BETTER ON KEEPING THE MAIN LOW WELL SOUTHEAST OF ILLINOIS...BUT DIFFERENCES CONTINUE WITH THE RESULTANT WEATHER FOR OUR CWA AS THE INVERTED TROUGH PASSES. WILL KEEP SOME LOW CHANCE POPS IN THE SE HALF OF OUR CWA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT FOR NOW...WITH SLIGHT CHANCES ELSEWHERE. A GRADUAL COOL DOWN TOWARD NORMAL TEMPS WILL OCCUR THIS WEEK. HOWEVER...WE WILL LIKELY REMAIN A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL EVEN BY NEXT MONDAY. SHIMON && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1158 AM CST MON JAN 7 2008 SFC WINDS PICKING UP ENOUGH OVER THE REGION TO PULL THE LLWS OUT OF THE TAFS. HIGH SFC WINDS AND CLOUDS FLIRTING BTWN VFR AND MVFR AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SPINS UP AND OUT OF THE DESERT SW. KEEPING THE TAFS IN MAINLY VFR THROUGH 24 HOURS. HAVE DROPPED CIGS AND VSBYS FOR THE MORNING. CARRYING THUNDER FOR THIS EVENING IN ALL LOCATIONS AS THE FRONT DRIVES THROUGH THE MOISTER WARMER AIR. HJS && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 304 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>050-081200- CASS-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD- MORGAN-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 304 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH POSSIBLE BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS AN ISOLATED THREAT THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE TONIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAIN ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON CREEKS...STREAMS...AND EVEN ON MAJOR AREA RIVERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY BUT THEY SHOULD PUSH OFF TO THE EAST DURING THE DAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. ILZ046-055>057-062-063-066>068-071>073-081200- CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM- JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-VERMILION- 304 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH POSSIBLE BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS AN ISOLATED THREAT THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE TONIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAIN ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON CREEKS...STREAMS...AND EVEN ON MAJOR AREA RIVERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY BUT THEY SHOULD PUSH OFF TO THE EAST DURING THE DAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH WIND AND HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044-045-051>054-061-081200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SANGAMON-SHELBY- 304 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH POSSIBLE BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A SLIGHT THREAT THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE TONIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAIN ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON CREEKS...STREAMS...AND EVEN ON MAJOR AREA RIVERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY BUT THEY SHOULD PUSH OFF TO THE EAST DURING THE DAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS EVENING. HJS
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.
7 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down on the south side of Rushville.
A tornado touched down for a few minutes near Mackinaw and moved through a farmstead. The tornado destroyed a pole barn and damaged a house and a few other outbuildings. In addition, a chain link fence and a few tree limbs were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2008Warnings in Illinois, January 2008
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: 74295, 74288, 74289, 74296, 74290, 78898, 74291, 74292, 74293, 74294.