A cold front dropped into central Illinois during the evening of April 4th, triggering a broken line of thunderstorms. Upper-level impulses traveling along the boundary helped create isolated strong to severe storms along the line.
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 dropped into central Illinois during the evening of April 4th, triggering a broken line of thunderstorms. Upper-level impulses traveling along the boundary helped create isolated strong to severe storms along the line. A few reports of nickel-sized hail and wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were observed.
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 4, 5:35 PM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 635 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 122 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ABOUT 6 TO 8 HOURS AHEAD OF ANY MODEL SOLUTION...FORMED ACRS NW MO ALONG THE 850 MB MOISTURE AND THERMAL AXIS...AND CONTINUES TO TRACK QUICKLY EWD ACRS WEST CENTRAL IL. MAIN SYNOPTIC COLD FRONT STILL ACRS CNTRL IOWA EXPECTED TO PUSH ACRS OUR AREA OVERNIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. FRONT SHOULD BE PUSHED INTO SE IL THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE ORGANIZED CONVECTION TONIGHT...AND WILL START HEADING BACK INTO OUR AREA LATE MONDAY. IT APPEARS BOTH THE NAM AND GFS WERE HANDLING THE FRONTAL FEATURES ABOUT THE SAME THRU MONDAY AFTN...WITH THE GFS NOW MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE MIDWEEK SYSTEM THAN IT WAS IN PRIOR RUNS...RESULTING IN DRIER AIR MOVING IN FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONVECTION THIS EVENING EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE COLD FRONT. DEEP SHEAR VALUES ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WL HELP TO PRODUCE SOME DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL. LATEST 4KM ARW SUGGESTS ONCE THE BAND BECOMES MORE ORGANIZED JUST TO OUR NORTHWEST AND DEVELOPS A COLD POOL...IT WL BEGIN TO ACCELERATE EAST AND SOUTH ACRS THE AREA WITH SOME EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS/LEWPS ENHANCING THE WIND THREAT THIS EVENING. MODELS NOTORIOUSLY SLOW WITH THESE LINEAR TYPE STORMS SO IT APPEARS THE CONVECTION SHOULD BE EAST OF OUR AREA BY 09Z. WL HAVE THE HIGHEST POPS THIS EVENING ACRS THE NW HALF AND OVER THE SE LATE THIS EVENING. THE FRONT SHOULD BE ALONG OR JUST SOUTHEAST OF I-70 BY MORNING WITH MODELS CONTINUING TO SUGGEST A NORTHWARD SURGE IN THE BNDRY BY AFTN. WL CARRY PRECIP CHANCES MOST AREAS WITH A SLOWER/MORE CONSERVATIVE SHIFT TO THE NORTH IN THE FRONT LATER IN THE AFTN AND EVENING. WITH THE FRONT TO OUR NORTH TMRW NIGHT...THE HIGH CHANCE POPS WL THIS TIME BE ALONG AND NORTH OF I-74. MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THE AIR MASS WILL BE CAPPED TO THE SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY TUE INTO TUE NIGHT. THE NEXT SIG SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH INTO THE PLAINS AT THIS TIME WITH SFC LOW PRESSURE EXPECTED TO DEEPEN AND THEN MOVE NORTHEAST OUT OF THE PLAINS THRU WRN IOWA TUESDAY NIGHT. WITH OUR AREA FIRMLY IN THE WARM SECTOR/CAPPED ATMOS...FEEL THE BEST CHANCE FOR CONVECTION WL BE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARIES TO OUR NORTH AND WEST...AT LEAST DURING THE FIRST HALF OF TUESDAY NIGHT. AS THE FRONT SURGES EWD LATE...THE CONVECTION CHANCES WL START TO INCREASE TO OUR WEST AND WL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT BECOMES MORE PARALLEL TO THE UPPER FLOW AND SLOWS DOWN DURING THE DAY. CONVECTION CHANCES WL CONTINUE ALONG THE FRONT WED NIGHT...ESP ACRS THE SOUTHEAST AS THE BNDRY EDGES SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MEDIUM RANGE MODELS STILL SHOWING SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES AND AMPLITUDE WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER WAVE MIDWEEK. A SECONDARY WAVE ON THE FRONT WL KEEP THE RAIN CHANCES GOING ACRS AT LEAST THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA ON THURSDAY...WITH THE LATEST ECMWF DEEPENING IN THE UPPER LOW ACRS THE LAKES REGION BY FRIDAY WHICH WILL BRING IN A FAIRLY COOL AIR MASS IF THAT VERIFIES. FOR NOW...WL HOLD OFF FROM MAKING ANY SIG CHANGES TO THE GOING EFP AT THIS POINT. RAIN CHANCES END FROM WEST TO EAST ON THU AND FORECAST WL REMAIN DRY THRU THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. SMITH && .AVIATION... ISSUED 635 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 A PERIOD OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY FOR A FEW HOURS THIS EVENING ALONG AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HAIL TO AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO 45KTS. OUTSIDE OF ANY SHOWERS/STORMS...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BECOME WEST LATE THIS EVENING OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT AND TAPER OFF. THEN...MOSTLY QUIET WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE REST OF THE 00Z TAF PERIOD. STILL CAN NOT RULE OUT SOME ADDITIONAL SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FROM MIDDAY MONDAY ON AS THE FRONT LIFTS BACK NORTH THROUGH THE TERMINAL AREA. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW AND COVERAGE WILL LIKELY BE TO0 SMALL TO WARRANT MENTION IN THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. BAK && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 354 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 ILZ038-042>046-051>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-051100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT- DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-LOGAN-MACON-MCLEAN- MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SHELBY-VERMILION- 354 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE INITIAL THREAT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS LATER AS THE STORMS ORGANIZE INTO A LINE ACROSS THE MIDWEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SEVERE STORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON MONDAY ALONG AND NORTH OF A WARM FRONT THAT WILL BE MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE STATE. THIS FRONT WILL THEN TRANSITION BACK TO A COLD FRONT AND PRODUCE ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT AS IT RETURNS SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE AREA LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 6 PM. ILZ036-040-041-047>050-051100- CASS-FULTON-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- 354 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE INITIAL THREAT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS LATER AS THE STORMS ORGANIZE INTO A LINE ACROSS THE MIDWEST. THE ILLINOIS RIVER WILL CONTINUE IN FLOOD FROM HAVANA TO POINTS DOWNSTREAM FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SEVERE STORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON MONDAY ALONG AND NORTH OF A WARM FRONT THAT WILL BE MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE STATE. THIS FRONT WILL THEN TRANSITION BACK TO A COLD FRONT AND PRODUCE ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT AS IT RETURNS SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE AREA LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 5 PM. ILZ027>031-037-051100- KNOX-MARSHALL-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 354 PM CDT SUN APR 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE INITIAL THREAT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS LATER AS THE STORMS ORGANIZE INTO A LINE ACROSS THE MIDWEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SEVERE STORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON MONDAY ALONG AND NORTH OF A WARM FRONT THAT WILL BE MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE STATE. THIS FRONT WILL THEN TRANSITION BACK TO A COLD FRONT AND PRODUCE ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT AS IT RETURNS SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE AREA LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 5 PM. HJS MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION...FORECASTS...AND WARNINGS.
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:27 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind damage reported along Highway 24 from 3 miles east of Lewistown to Little America. Numerous tree branches were blown down and several picnic tables were overturned along this path.
Numerous 6 diameter branches were blown down near Goofy Ridge.
Lawn furniture, tree branches, and sheet metal were blown down.
Several large tree limbs were blown down in South Pekin.
The hail lasted for 3 minutes and a 42 mph wind gust was also observed.
A couple of outbuildings were damaged, with sheet metal roofing blown nearly a mile away.
A downburst caused minor wind damage on the southwest side of Toledo. A wood fence and travel trailer were blown over. In addition, several small limbs were blown down and 3 houses lost shingles.
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: 227028, 227026, 227040, 227020, 227016, 227017, 227019, 227029.