A strong low level jet stream and abundant moisture for late winter produced scattered, elevated thunderstorms in central Illinois early in the morning. One of these thunderstorms produced a lightning strike which did extensive damage to a home near Decatur.
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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.
A strong low level jet stream and abundant moisture for late winter produced scattered, elevated thunderstorms in central Illinois early in the morning. One of these thunderstorms produced a lightning strike which did extensive damage to a home near Decatur.
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 Feb 26, 5:27 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 527 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 330 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 00Z SHORT RANGE MODELS FAIRLY SIMILAR IN EJECTING LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN CO NE TO NEAR THE MO/IL/IA BORDER BY SUNSET AND TO SOUTHERN LAKE MI BY 06Z/MIDNIGHT WHILE SWINGING A COLD FRONT SE THROUGH CENTRAL/SE IL TONIGHT. THIS TO BRING CONVECTION TO THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT AND SPC CONTINUES SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS THIS EVENING FROM I-74 SOUTH. INITIAL FORECAST CONCERN IS ADDRESSING AREAS OF DENSE FOG AND POSSIBLE DENSE FOG ADVISORY OVER EAST CENTRAL IL THIS MORNING. AFTER TODAY/TONIGHTS CONVECTION LOOKING AT LIGHT SNOW CHANCES SAT ESPECIALLY SW AREAS WHERE LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. VERY MILD TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL COOL BACK TO A BIT BELOW NORMAL FRI THROUGH THIS WEEKEND AS UPPER LEVEL TROF DIGS OVER THE EASTERN STATES. 09Z/3 AM SURFACE MAP SHOWS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALONG I-55 INTO CENTRAL MO TO 1003 MB LOW PRESSURE IN EASTERN CO. AREAS OF DENSE FOG HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS EASTERN IL FROM I-55 EAST ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. WILL BE ISSUING A DENSE FOG ADVISORY INTO MID MORNING FOR EAST CENTRAL IL FROM I-55 EAST AND FROM I-70 NORTH. TEMPS NEAR DEWPOINTS RANGED FROM THE LOW TO MID 30S FROM PEORIA NORTH TO THE LOW TO MID 40S FROM QUINCY TO RANTOUL SE. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP FROM RUSHVILLE TO PARIS SW AHEAD OF APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SW OF IL. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. MODELS DEEPEN LOW PRESSURE A BIT TO 1001 MB AS IT MOVES TO NEAR THE IL/IA/MO BORDER BY SUNSET. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL IL AS FRONT LIFTS BACK NW OF THE IL RIVER VALLEY. CONVECTION WILL BECOME MORE WIDELY SCATTERED IN SE IL THIS AFTERNOON WHILE HEAVIEST RAINS WILL BE NW OF THE IL RIVER. LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS TO 999 MB OVER SOUTHERN TIP OF LAKE MI BY MIDNIGHT AND BRING STRONG COLD FRONT SE TOWARD I-55. SPC HAS SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS THIS EVENING FROM I-74 SOUTH WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WITH POSSIBLE SQUALL LINE. ISOLATED TORNADO POSSIBLE IN SW COUNTIES TOO DUE TO FAVORABLE WIND FIELDS. INSTABILITY IS BETTER DUE TO WARMER TEMPS TODAY THAN WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WITH YESTERDAYS MODEL RUNS. STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH SE IL OVERNIGHT WITH CONVECTION CHANCES DIMINISHING FROM NW TO SE OVERNIGHT. ALSO MUCH COLDER AIR FILTERS IN ON BLUSTERY NW WINDS CHANGING LIGHT RAIN TO LIGHT SNOW NW OF I-57 BUT LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATIONS. INCREASED HIGHS TODAY INTO THE LOWER 60S WITH UPPER 50S NW OF THE IL RIVER. FRI CONTINUES TO LOOK DRY OVER IL WITH MUCH COLDER HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S CENTRAL IL AND LOWER 40S SE IL. CLOUDS SHOULD DECREASE FROM THE WEST DURING THE DAY FRI WITH CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST. ECMWF AND NAM SIMILAR IN BRINGING A FAIRLY STRONG SHORT WAVE SE ACROSS MO SAT AND BRINGING LIGHT SNOW TO ESPECIALLY SW COUNTIES WHERE 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO FLORA SW IN SW IL. GFS IS FURTHER SW WITH THIS FEATURE BUT NOT THE MODEL OF CHOICE AND DID NOT FOLLOW. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. EXTENDED MODELS CONTINUE TO DIG AN UPPER LEVEL TROF OVER THE EASTERN STATES BY SUNDAY. THIS TO KEEP TEMPS A BIT COOLER THAN NORMAL FOR MAR 1 DESPITE MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH DEVELOPING A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE SE STATES AND MOVING UP THE ATLANTIC COAST THIS WEEKEND KEEPING ITS PRECIPITATION SE OF THE OHIO RIVER. CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE DRIFTS OVER IL MONDAY KEEPING IT COOL WITH HIGHS IN MID TO UPPER 30S WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING INTO IL BY TUE/WED WITH TEMPS MODERATING BACK ABOVE NORMAL AND STAYING DRY. HUETTL && .AVIATION... ISSUED 527 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 TRICKY AVIATION FORECAST THROUGH THE 12Z TAF PERIOD. LIFR CONDITIONS ONGOING ACROSS ALL TERMINALS IN THE VICINITY OF A STALLED/DECAYING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. A DEVELOPING WARM FRONT TO THE SOUTH OF THE REGION WILL LIFT THROUGH THE TERMINALS TODAY AHEAD OF AN INTENSIFYING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE PLAINS...BRINGING WITH IT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/STORMS. EXPECT THIS FRONT TO BE NORTH OF THE REGION BY AFTERNOON WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES TAPERING OFF FOR A TIME...WINDS GETTING GUSTY...AND CIGS/VSBYS IMPROVING IN ITS WAKE. AS THE DEVELOPING LOW MOVES INTO SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING...SHOWER/STORM CHANCES RETURN ALONG/AHEAD OF THE TRAILING COLD FRONT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE AND HAVE TRIED TO CAPTURE A COUPLE HOUR WINDOW THIS EVENING IN THE TERMINALS WHERE THE STORMS APPEAR MOST LIKELY. THE WINDS WILL SWING AROUND TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT LATER TONIGHT...AND REMAIN QUITE GUSTY. PRECIPITATION CHANCES EXPECTED TO QUICKLY END BEHIND THE FRONT AS MUCH COOLER/DRIER AIR SURGES IN. BAK && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR ILZ038- 042>046-051>057-061. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 551 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047>050-271200- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SCHUYLER- SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 551 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT TO THE EAST OF THE APPROACHING LOW WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO RACE EAST ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING AS THE APPROACHING LOW DRAGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...BUT LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. FOR INTERESTS ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER...THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AT HAVANA AND POINTS DOWNSTREAM FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WITH IT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...PRIMARILY BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM. ILZ038-042-043-051>053-271200- CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-LOGAN-MACON-MCLEAN-SANGAMON- 551 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG...REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS...ARE LIKELY THROUGH MID MORNING. VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY BY MIDDAY. A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT TO THE EAST OF THE APPROACHING LOW WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO RACE EAST ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING AS THE APPROACHING LOW DRAGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...BUT LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WITH IT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...PRIMARILY BETWEEN 7 PM AND 11 PM. ILZ044>046-054>057-061-271200- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SHELBY-VERMILION- 551 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG...REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS...ARE LIKELY THROUGH MID MORNING. VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY BY MIDDAY. A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT TO THE EAST OF THE APPROACHING LOW WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO RACE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AS THE APPROACHING LOW DRAGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...BUT LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WITH IT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...PRIMARILY BETWEEN 8 PM AND MIDNIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-271200- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 551 AM CST THU FEB 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT TO THE EAST OF THE APPROACHING LOW WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO RACE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AS THE APPROACHING LOW DRAGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...BUT LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WITH IT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...PRIMARILY BETWEEN 8 PM AND MIDNIGHT. BAK
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:58 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a house on the west side of Forsyth causing a fire, and extensive damage to the home. There were no injuries, although the family dog had to be rescued by fire personnel.
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, February 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: 153429.