Heavy Rain, Lee
- When
- August 26, 4:30 AM CST to August 27, 4:30 AM CST
- Where
- Lee County, 3 mi NNW of Dixon
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 41.870, -89.502
Rainfall of 2.03 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain in Illinois, August 26 to 28, 2009
Periods of heavy rain fell across parts of northern Illinois from August 26th through August 28th with many areas receiving more than two inches of rain but no flooding was reported.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 19
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.
Periods of heavy rain fell across parts of northern Illinois from August 26th through August 28th with many areas receiving more than two inches of rain but no flooding was reported.
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 Aug 26, 3:23 AM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 3:23 AM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 423 AM CDT WED AUG 26 2009 .DISCUSSION... 313 AM CDT WEATHER OVER NEXT FEW DAYS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY SLIPPING VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWARD OVER THE WI BORDER...WHERE IT BECOMES STATIONARY...AND WHEN SHORT WAVES WILL MOVE FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS ACROSS THE MID MS VALLEY BRINGING ROUNDS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE LOCAL AREA. WHILE THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COLD FRONT HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS EASTWARD FROM THE CENTRAL TO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES OVERNIGHT...THE CENTRAL SECTION HAS ONLY SLOWLY SAGGED SOUTHWARD INTO FAR NORTHERN IL WHILE THE SOUTHERN PORTION BACK IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS IS QUASI-STATIONARY AS A SURFACE LOW HAS FORMED AND TRACKED ALONG THE BOUNDARY IN SOUTHWEST KS. THE LOW IS A REFLECTION OF THE SHORT WAVE LIFTING ACROSS EASTERN CO EARLY THIS MORNING. MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING PERIODIC ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE LOCAL AREA TODAY. ONE IMPULSE CROSSED SOUTHERN WI AND NORTHERN IL LAST EVENING AND EARLIER THIS MORNING AND IS NOW MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER MI. ANOTHER IMPULSE IS MOVING FROM EASTERN IA INDUCING FRONTOGENETIC FORCING OVER FAR NORTHERN IL RESULTING IN INCREASING COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHERE NARROW BAND OF HIGHER DEW POINTS EXITS JUST AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. MODELS DIFFER IN HANDLING DISTURBANCE OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS THOUGH HAVE GENERAL AGREEMENT IN SLOWLY TRACKING IT ACROSS THE PLAINS AND ACROSS THE MID MO VALLEY TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND TO THE MID MS VALLEY DURING THURSDAY. AS IT APPROACHES AND DEVELOPS A CLOSED MID AND UPPER CIRCULATION AS DEPICTED BY MODELS STRONGER OVERRUNNING OF THE QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN IN...CENTRAL IL AND ALONG/NEAR THE IA-MO BORDER AT THAT TIME WILL BE ON THE INCREASE. THIS TO RESULT IN ANOTHER BOUT OF RAIN AND SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT ACROSS THE NORTH...WITH THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH WHERE CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS SHOW BEST INSTABILITY. POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS THIS CLOSED LOW OR STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS SLOW TO MOVE EAST OF THE AREA PER MODELS. LONGER TERM...POTENTIAL FOR STRONG COOLING FOR AREA AS VERY COOL AIRMASS OVER HUDSON BAT REGION OF CANADA ADVECTS WEST THEN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH AROUND THE UPPER LOW TO FORM OVER WESTERN ONTARIO LATE THURSDAY/EARLY FRIDAY AND THEN MOVE EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES DURING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE FOR AT LEAST AS COOL AS OCCURRED ON THE 12TH & 13TH OF THIS MONTH. THIS WOULD MEAN TEMPERATURES SUNDAY MORNING IN THE UPPER 40S AND LOWER 50S WITH SUNDAY HIGHS RESTRICTED TO MID AND UPPER 60S. TRS && .AVIATION... 0600 UTC TAFS... THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTH THIS MORNING. THERE ARE NUMEROUS SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. THESE ARE IN ROCKFORD ALREADY AND WILL CONTINUE THERE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO DUPAGE AND OHARE AIRPORTS AROUND 08 UTC THIS MORNING. MIDWAY AND GARY AIRPORTS MAY GET THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND 09 UTC. WE MAY HAVE TO ADJUST THE FORECAST LATER THIS MORNING. BECAUSE THE PRECIPITATION MAY DECREASE AS THE ATMOSPHERE MAY BECOME MORE STABLE THIS MORNING. AS THE FRONT MOVES SOUTH SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE IN THE AREA THIS MORNING THROUGH 18 UTC. WE EXPECT DRY WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. WE WILL FORECAST MVFR CEILINGS FOR NOW. ANOTHER UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE OVER KANSAS MAY REACH NORTHERN ILLINOIS THURSDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING MORE PRECIPITATION THURSDAY MORNING. && .MARINE... 405 AM CDT A LOW WAS OVER NORTH CENTRAL QUEBEC THIS MORNING. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN TO NORTHWEST MISSOURI. A HIGH WAS OVER MINNESOTA THIS MORNING. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE HIGH WILL MOVE TO LAKE SUPERIOR. THE WIND WILL BECOME NORTH ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY. THERE WILL BE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH HALF OF LAKE MICHIGAN. && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 26, 2:55 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 355 AM CDT WED AUG 26 2009 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019- 270900- WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE ILLINOIS-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE- DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON- IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE INDIANA-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON- 355 AM CDT WED AUG 26 2009 /455 AM EDT WED AUG 26 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS... NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE INDIANA SHORE TODAY AND THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF I-80 THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...AND SOUTHEAST OF A DUNNS BRIDGE TO WATSEKA TO GIBSON CITY LINE FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY THROUGH TONIGHT. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO LMZ740>745-270900- WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR- WILMETTE HARBOR TO NORTHERLY ISLAND- NORTHERLY ISLAND TO CALUMET HARBOR-CALUMET HARBOR TO GARY- GARY TO BURNS HARBOR-BURNS HARBOR TO MICHIGAN CITY- 355 AM CDT WED AUG 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868- 870-872-874-876-878-270900- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MICHIGAN CITY IN TO ST. JOSEPH MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO THE MACKINAC BRIDGE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLEVOIX MI TO SOUTH FOX ISLAND 5 NM OFFSHORE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM CHARLEVOIX TO POINT BETSIE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM POINT BETSIE TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE TO STURGEON BAY WI- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM STURGEON BAY TO TWO RIVERS WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM TOW RIVERS TO SHEBOYGAN WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR IL 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WILMETTE HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ST. JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- 355 AM CDT WED AUG 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ON THE FAR SOUTHERN END OF THE LAKE TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
19 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, De Kalb
- When
- August 26, 5:15 AM CST to August 27, 5:15 AM CST
- Where
- De Kalb County, Cortland
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 41.920, -88.680
Rainfall of 2.06 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Winnebago
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Winnebago County, 1 mi NW of Rockford
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 42.280, -89.094
Rainfall of 2.01 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, De Kalb
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- De Kalb County, Genoa
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 42.100, -88.680
Rainfall of 4.63 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Cook
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Cook County, Wheeling
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 42.130, -87.900
Rainfall of 2.58 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Winnebago
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Winnebago County, Rockford
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 42.270, -89.080
Rainfall of 2.42 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Ogle
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Ogle County, 3 mi N of Byron
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 42.173, -89.250
Rainfall of 2.38 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Kane
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kane County, Elgin
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 42.030, -88.280
Rainfall of 2.12 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, De Kalb
- When
- August 26, 6:00 AM CST to August 27, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- De Kalb County, 1 mi SSW of De Kalb
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.917, -88.757
Rainfall of 2.01 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Will
- When
- August 27, 5:00 AM CST to August 28, 5:00 AM CST
- Where
- Will County, Peotone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 41.330, -87.780
Rainfall of 2.06 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Grundy
- When
- August 27, 5:00 AM CST to August 28, 5:00 AM CST
- Where
- Grundy County, 4 mi NNW of Coal City
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 41.334, -88.309
Rainfall of 2.16 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Will
- When
- August 27, 6:00 AM CST to August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Will County, Monee
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 41.420, -87.730
Rainfall of 2.15 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, La Salle
- When
- August 27, 6:00 AM CST to August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- La Salle County, Peru
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 41.330, -89.130
Rainfall of 3.02 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, La Salle
- When
- August 27, 6:00 AM CST to August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- La Salle County, Marseilles
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 41.330, -88.720
Rainfall of 2.21 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Kankakee
- When
- August 27, 6:00 AM CST to August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kankakee County, Bonfield
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 41.150, -88.050
Rainfall of 2.45 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Livingston
- When
- August 27, 6:00 PM CST to August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Livingston County, Pontiac
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 40.870, -88.620
Rainfall of 3.00 inches was reported in the past 12 hours.
Heavy Rain, Cook
- When
- August 28, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Cook County, Arlington Hgts
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -88.000
Storm total rainfall of 3.53 inches was reported near Hintz and Windsor Roads.
Heavy Rain, Cook
- When
- August 28, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cook County, Northbrook
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 42.130, -87.830
Rainfall of 3.57 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
Heavy Rain, Kendall
- When
- August 28, 2:31 PM CST
- Where
- Kendall County, 1.57 mi E of Boulder Hill
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.719, -88.320
Three day storm total rainfall of 3.69 inches was reported near Route 30 and Douglas Road.
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Wildfire in California, August 26 to 31, 2009
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Iowa, August 26 to 27, 2009
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Georgia, August 26, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, August 26 to 27, 2009
- Flooding in Nebraska, August 26 to 27, 2009
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, August 26, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 26, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 26, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, August 26, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 26, 2009
- Hail in Colorado, August 26, 2009
- Flash Flooding in Iowa, August 26, 2009
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2009
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: 193940, 193941, 193942, 193943, 193944, 193945, 193946, 193947, 193948, 193952, 193953, 193954, 193955, 193956, 193957, 193951, 193949, 193958, 193960.