Low pressure tracked from Missouri across north-central Illinois on April 5th. with a few of the storms producing marginally severe hail.
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.
Low pressure tracked from Missouri across north-central Illinois on April 5th. Scattered thunderstorms developed in advance of this feature...with a few of the storms producing marginally severe hail.
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 5, 5:40 AM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 640 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 309 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 UPPER LEVEL LOW SPINNING OVER ERN NEBRASKA THIS MORNING...WITH SFC LOW MOVING INTO NWRN MO. FIRST WAVE OF PRECIP MOVING OVER THE FA...WELL AHEAD OF THE SFC SYSTEM. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LITTLE MORE THAN SMALL HAIL AND RAIN. BETTER THREAT WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT...AND THAT IS ONE ISSUE FOR THE FORECAST THIS MORNING...AS WELL AS THE TIMING OF THE EXIT OF THIS SYSTEM...AND THE WINDS ASSOCIATED. NEXT SYSTEM IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL THE LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK...AND SO FAR...THE MODELS REMAIN IN RATHER GOOD AGREEMENT WITHIN A MORE PROGRESSIVE FLOW. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TOMORROW... NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS RUN AS THE MODELS ARE MAINTAINING CONTINUITY RATHER WELL. 4KM NAM/WRF BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY...REFIRING ALONG THE COLD FRONT WITH BETTER COVERAGE FROM DECATUR TO CHAMPAIGN AND POINTS SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON IN COLLUSION WITH MAX DAYTIME HEATING. THIS HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH THE LOCATION FOR THE SLIGHT RISK TODAY OUT OF SPC. ENHANCEMENT OF AFTERNOON DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED FROM MID LEVEL COOLING AS AIR WRAPS AROUND THE SYSTEM...IN COMBINATION WITH STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES. BEYOND THE THUNDER...PLENTY OF WRAP AROUND MOISTURE ON THIS SYSTEM WITH VERY COLD AIR PLUNGING INTO THE MIDSECTION OF THE COUNTRY...WILL RESULT IN SNOW FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND INTO MONDAY. ACCUMULATIONS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS...RUNNING AN INCH OR LESS. WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE OVERNIGHT WILL ALSO LEND ITSELF TO MAKING A SMALL AMOUNT OF SNOW A LARGER PROBLEM...WITH BLOWING AND SOME LIGHT DRIFTING. WINDS AT 925 MB ARE STILL PROGGED IN THE 30-35 KTS RANGE...WITH BETTER WINDS TO THE SW. BORDERLINE WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA AT BEST IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH AN INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT. WILL LEAVE FOR NEXT SHIFTS TO LOOK OVER. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO GET QUITE UNSEASONABLY COLD...WITH MAX TEMPS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S RESPECTIVELY. LOW TEMPS MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT QUITE CHILLY FOR APRIL...INTO THE UPPER 20S AND NEAR 30. MODELS PUSH ANOTHER SYSTEM OUT OF THE ROCKIES ON THURSDAY...AND ARE A LITTLE OVERZEALOUS WITH THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION AS A BAROCLINIC ZONE SETS UP OVER THE SRN HALF OF THE STATE. EXPECT SHIFTS IN TIMING...BUT THURSDAY NIGHT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST SHOT AT PRECIP...ESP FOR THE SRN HALF OF ILLINOIS AND THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. && .AVIATION... ISSUED 620 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 LOW PRESSURE OVR NRN MO IS EXPECTED TO PUSH ACRS THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS MORNING...AND THEN OUT OF THE AREA AFTR 21Z. SCATTERED TSRA OCCURRING ACRS CNTRL IL THIS MRNG WL INCREASE IN AREAL CVRG AFTR 15Z AS A MORE CONCENTRATED AREA OF LIFT MOVES ACRS THE FORECAST AREA. VFR CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TO MVFR CIGS AS THE LOW MOVES THRU CNTRL IL BTWN 15Z AND 19Z. LAPS SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT A DRY LOW LEVEL EAST TO NORTHEAST FLOW HAS KEPT THE CIGS MOSTLY IN THE VFR RANGE OVERNIGHT...BUT AGAIN...THAT IS EXPECTED TO DROP TO MVFR CIGS LATER THIS MRNG. THE MVFR CIGS WILL CONTINUE AS THE LOW PULLS OFF TO OUR EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION SETTLES IN. FOR PIA AND BMI...IT APPEARS WINDS WILL BACK INTO THE NORTH AS THE LOW TRACKS TO THE SOUTH...HOWEVER...THE FORECAST IS A BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE ACRS SPI...DEC AND CMI AS MODELS SUGGEST THE LOW WL TRACK RIGHT ACRS CNTRL IL. AS A RESULT...WL VEER THE WINDS INTO THE SOUTHEAST AND THEN SOUTHWEST AS THE LOW SHIFTS ACRS THE AREA THIS AFTN. WNDS WL THEN VEER INTO THE NORTHWEST AS THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACRS THE AREA. THE LATEST 12Z ILX SOUNDING INDICATES THE LLWS CRITERIA HAS ENDED...HOWEVER...GUSTY SFC WNDS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL...ESP NORTH OF THE SFC LOW TRACK. ALL AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO SEE WIND GUSTS ARND 30KTS BY LATER THIS AFTN AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS TONIGHT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE A RAIN SNOW MIX ACRS THE NORTH EARLY THIS EVENING WHICH WILL CHANGE OVER TO LIGHT SNOW OVERNIGHT. A SLOWER TRANSITION EXPECTED FURTHER SOUTH AND WL KEEP IT MORE OF A RAIN/SNOW MIX AT LEAST THRU 06Z. SMITH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 541 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-061100- FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MASON-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-STARK-TAZEWELL- WOODFORD- 541 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS TO OUR SOUTH TODAY...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...MAINLY THIS MORNING. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND SMALL HAIL. AS THIS SYSTEM DEPARTS...RAIN WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE TO SLEET AND SNOW THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING ALL SNOW TONIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS UP TO AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. AS THE COLDER AIR FILTERS IN BEHIND THE STORM SYSTEM THIS AFTERNOON...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST AS HIGH AS 35 MPH THROUGH TONIGHT. THE ILLINOIS RIVER WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD THROUGH MOST OF THIS WEEK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. MORNING LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 30. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ038-042-043-047>051-061100- CASS-DE WITT-LOGAN-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON-SCOTT- 541 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. IT APPEARS THE MORE ORGANIZED THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE TO OUR EAST AND SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS TO OUR EAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON...NORTHWEST WINDS...GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH...WILL USHER IN COLDER WEATHER TONIGHT WITH THE RAIN BECOMING MIXED WITH OR CHANGING OVER TO SOME LIGHT SNOW. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. MORNING LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 30. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-061100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS- EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND- SHELBY-VERMILION- 541 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS JUST TO OUR NORTH TODAY...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE NUMEROUS...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE JUST TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE SURFACE LOW AND WARM FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 72. AS THE STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS TO OUR EAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON...NORTH WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH...WILL USHER IN COLDER WEATHER TONIGHT WITH THE RAIN BECOMING MIXED WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT. FOR INTERESTS ALONG THE LITTLE WABASH RIVER ACROSS SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE BASIN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. MORNING LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 30. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE PRIMARY TIME FRAME FOR ACTIVATION WILL BE FROM 100 PM UNTIL 500 PM CDT. SMITH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 137 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ILZ036-040-041-047>050-050745- FULTON-SCHUYLER-MASON-CASS-MENARD-SCOTT-MORGAN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HAVANA...JACKSONVILLE 137 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...HAIL LESS THAN ONE INCH AND WINDS AROUND 45 MPH POSSIBLE THROUGH 230 AM CDT ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THROUGH 300 AM. STRONG STORMS WILL AFFECT CAMDEN... RUSHVILLE...BEARDSTOWN NORTHEAST TO HAVANA. PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE TRACKING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM... BE PREPARED FOR HAIL LESS THAN ONE INCH AND GUSTY WINDS. REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS IF THE STORM STRENGTHENS. SMITH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 659 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ILZ031-038-051300- MCLEAN-WOODFORD- 659 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MCLEAN AND SOUTHEASTERN WOODFORD COUNTIES UNTIL 800 AM CDT... AT 657 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTHWEST OF BLOOMINGTON NORMAL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN MCLEAN AND WOODFORD COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF NORMAL...BLOOMINGTON...TOWANDA...LEXINGTON...COOKSVILLE AND COLFAX... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. SMITH
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:07 UTC.
3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Nickel-sized hail lasted for around 5 minutes and covered 80 to 90 percent of the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2009
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: 162986, 162987, 162988.