A cold front pushed into central Illinois from the west on April 29th, triggering scattered thunderstorms. Strong to severe storms occurred across parts of Iowa and Missouri during the day but tended to weaken considerably as they crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.
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.
A cold front pushed into central Illinois from the west on April 29th, triggering scattered thunderstorms. Strong to severe storms occurred across parts of Iowa and Missouri during the day but tended to weaken considerably as they crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. One isolated severe cell managed to produce wind damage across Clay County later in the evening before quickly shifting eastward into Indiana.
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 30, 8:02 PM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 902 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 901 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 STORMS HAVE DIMINISHED IN SOME AREAS THIS EVENING WHILE ADDITIONAL STORMS IN WESTERN MO CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO ILLINIOS. UPDATE WILL BE FORTHCOMING SINCE CURRENT WATCH IS BEING REPLACED WITH NEW WATCH FOR I-55 AND EAST TO THE BORDER. NEW WATCH WILL NOT INCLUDE MCLEAN COUNTY. AUTEN && .AVIATION... ISSUED 628 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS ALL TAF SITES THIS EVENING. MVFR CIGS AT PIA AND BMI WILL CONTINUE...WHILE SPI...DEC AND CMI WILL BE VFR AHEAD OF THE LINE. WILL HAVE VCTS FOR FIRST HOUR AT EACH SITE WITH A 2HR TEMPO GROUP FOR WHEN STORMS WILL BE ON STATION. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ALSO REMAIN IN THE AREA FOR COUPLE OF HOURS AFTERWORDS WITH MVFR CIGS...THEN CIGS WILL RISE UP TO AROUND 5KFT. BELIEVE THESE CIGS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND THEN SCATTER OUT TOWARD MORNING. THEN JUST HIGH CLOUDS FROM LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRSS BUILDS INTO THE REGION. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG AND GUSTY UNTIL AFTER LINE OF STORMS MOVES THROUGH. THEN THEY SWITCH TO MORE SOUTHWESTERLY OVERNIGHT WITH A DECREASE IN SPEED. THEN WINDS BECOME MORE WESTERLY TOMORROW. AUTEN && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 250 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE COLD FRONT OUT WEST...WITH THE LEAD CELLS JUST WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. VERY STRONG WIND FIELDS WILL COMBINE WITH ADEQUATE INSTABILITY TO PRODUCE WIND DAMAGE WITHIN FAST-MOVING STORMS. IN ADDITION...AS THE INITIAL CAP OVER THE BOUNDARY ERODES SOON...EFFECTIVE INFLOW PARCELS WILL ORIGINATE FROM WITHIN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AND THE ENHANCED HELICITY INTO THE STORMS. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES IN STORMS AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE...AS WELL AS WITHIN SMALL-SCALE BOWS/LEWPS IN THE SQUALL LINE ITSELF. MOST OF THIS FIRST WAVE OF STORMS WILL CLEAR ALL BUT SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS ON SATURDAY...BUT BY THEN THE FRONT WILL BE STALLING OUT AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE ROUNDS THE BOTTOM OF THE DEEP CENTRAL CONUS UPPER TROUGH. THIS WILL ENDUCE CYCLOGENESIS ALONG THE FRONT OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WITH THE LOW MOVING NORTH INTO ILLINOIS SATURDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE MARGINAL WITH TONIGHT/S FIRST WAVE OF STORMS...CHANCES WILL INCREASE MARKEDLY SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE SOUTHEAST WHERE THE HIGHEST QPF IS EXPECTED. WILL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTHEAST THAT WILL GO FROM 6PM SATURDAY THROUGH 6AM SUNDAY. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE EAST OF THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY EVENING...BUT WILL HOLD ONTO SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS OVER THE EAST/SOUTHEAST. SHORT RANGE MODELS ARE WILL INDICATING A WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS ILLINOIS ON MONDAY...RESULTING IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST WHERE SUFFICIENT MOISTURE MAY REMAIN. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... COMPARATIVELY QUIET PERIOD EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK. MAIN FEATURE TO WATCH WILL BE THE UPPER LOW THAT THE LONGER RANGE MODELS MOVE ACROSS THE CONUS/CANADIAN BORDER IN THE TUE/WED TIMEFRAME. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SWING THROUGH ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY...THEN BECOME STATIONARY ALONG THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS SCENARIO HAS AN AVERAGE CONFIDENCE LEVEL ATTACHED TO IT...AND RESEMBLES THE ECMWF CLOSEST. THE 06Z GFS SEEMS TO PUSH THE FRONT TOO FAR SOUTH AS ITS UPPER SUPPORT MOVES AWAY...ALTHOUGH THE 12Z GFS IS A CLOSER TO THE ECMWF. BOTH MODELS INDICATE A DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE /AT LEAST SO FAR/ AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF STATES BLOCKS THE RETURN OF MOISTURE. CYCLOGENESIS IS EXPECTED ON THE TAIL OF THE FRONT OVER THE OK/TX PANHANDLE REGION THURSDAY AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE EMERGES FROM THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE PLAINS. THIS LOW WILL THEN DEEPEN AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE MIDWEST...BRINGING THE STALLED FRONT TO OUR SOUTH NORTHWARD THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL REPRESENT THE NEXT BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 04 && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 304 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>044-047>054-061-011100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER- SCOTT-SHELBY-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 304 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING...AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES ILLINOIS FROM THE WEST. TORNADOES...WIND DAMAGE...AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. AREAS WEST OF I-55 WILL SEE THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...WITH LOCATIONS EAST OF I-55 SEEING MORE OF A WIND DAMAGE THREAT. AHEAD OF THE STORMS...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 40 MPH AT TIMES. THIS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. AT THE PRESENT TIME...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD BE LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENING. ILZ045-046-055>057-011100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-VERMILION- 304 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRIMARILY THIS EVENING. A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY APPROACH ILLINOIS FROM THE WEST...WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS ILLINOIS THROUGH THE EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. AREAS WEST OF I-57 MAY ALSO SEE SOME LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY EVENING...AS SOUTHERLY WINDS GUST UP TO 40 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY SATURDAY...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. AT THE PRESENT TIME...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE SOUTH OF I-70. HOWEVER...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS EVENING. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-011100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 304 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING...AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES ILLINOIS FROM THE WEST. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. AREAS WEST OF I-57 MAY ALSO SEE SOME LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY SATURDAY...BUT WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS. HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO LIKELY...WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 5 PM AND MIDNIGHT. GEELHART
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
722 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0708 PM HAIL 5 NW PEORIA 40.80N 89.68W
04/30/2010 E0.25 INCH PEORIA IL TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 150 AND
ROUTE 6. LASTED APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS.
&&
OUSLEYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1145 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
ILZ071-010545-
CLAY-
1145 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CLAY COUNTY UNTIL 1245 AM
CDT...
AT 1139 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HELM...OR 16 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALEM...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
FLORA...
LOUISVILLE...
CLAY CITY...
SAILOR SPRINGS...
PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.
LAT...LON 3861 8870 3878 8870 3884 8828 3863 8830
3860 8835
TIME...MOT...LOC 0445Z 239DEG 43KT 3856 8862
AUTENThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:51 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An 8-inch diameter tree limb was blown onto a garage on Old Route 50 and Mahogany Road. Minor roof damage was reported.
A tree was blown down at Moore's Mill Bridge.
A tree was blown down across Route 45 just northwest of Flora.
A 2 foot diameter tree limb was blown down in Flora. Numerous power outages were reported on the south side of town.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2010
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: 227103, 227102, 227104, 227106.