Severe thunderstorms moved across parts of northern Illinois during the late morning and early afternoon hours of June 12th producing wind damage across many areas.
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 LOT wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms moved across parts of northern Illinois during the late morning and early afternoon hours of June 12th producing wind damage across many areas.
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 Jun 12, 7:17 AM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 817 AM CDT SAT JUN 12 2010 .DISCUSSION... 339 AM CDT CURRENT RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SMALL THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER OVER SOUTHEAST IOWA EXPANDING/DEVELOPING SEWD TOWARD THE BURLINGTON IA AREA. THIS IS AT THE NOSE OF NOCTURNAL LOW LVL JET OF 45 KTS EXTENDING FROM N CENTRAL TX...THOUGH ERN KS TO NWRN MO BASED ON PROFILER DATA THROUGH 08Z. THIS CLUSTER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER ERN IA THROUGH 12Z BUT IS LIKELY TO ITS DIURNAL WEAKENING PHASE BY THE TIME IT REACHES NWRN/N CENTRAL IL LATER THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION...UPPER AIR ANALYSES SHOW ANTICYCLONIC FLOW BOTH SFC AND ALOFT OVER MID MS VALLEY...SO DONT EXPECT THESE STORMS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AFTER THEY CROSS MS RIVER. HOWEVER...EXTENSIVE CONVECTIVE DEBRIS...BOTH FROM THE SE IOWA CLUSTER AND A MUCH LARGER MCS OVER NEBRASKA...WILL EVENTUALLY DRIFT ACROSS FA BY MID-LATE MORNING. THIS WILL HELP KEEP DAYTIME TEMPS BELOW 90 F...BUT HIGH DEW POINTS AND RATHER LIGHT WIND FLOW WILL AGAIN MAKE FOR A WARM AND HUMID DAY AND DAYTIME SOUNDINGS ARE FORECAST TO BECOME QUITE UNSTABLE AGAIN BY AFTERNOON WITH SB CAPES OF 2-3 THOUSAND J/KG DEVELOPING AFTER 18Z. DESPITE POOR WIND PROFILES...EXPECT SCATTERED TSTMS TO POP UP AGAIN IN THIS DEEP TROPICAL AIR MASS. LOW LEVEL FLOW SHOULD INCREASE A BIT TONIGHT AS NIGHTTIME LOW LVL JET STRENGTHENING IS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY APPROACH OF WEAK FRONTAL WAVE FORECAST TO EJECT NEWD OUT OF KS TODAY. THIS SHOULD HELP BACK LOW LVL WIND FIELD INTO THE SOUTHWEST BY LATE THIS EVENING. LOTS OF "IFS" WITH THESE SCENARIOS SO WILL KEEP POPS IN CHANCE CATEGORY THROUGH TONIGHT. HAVE BUMPED UP POPS INTO LIKELY CATEGORY FOR SUNDAY THOUGH. AS SURFACE FRONT CONTINUES TO SAG SLOWLY SOUTHWARD OVER NRN IL...LOW TO MID 70 DEGREE DEW POINTS ARE EXPECTED TO POOL ALONG SLUGGISH BOUNDARY. THIS WILL HELP MAKE AFTERNOON SOUNDINGS VERY UNSTABLE. MAIN CONCERN WITH THESE STORMS IS HEAVY RAINFALL RATES GIVEN PRECIPITABLE WATER CONTENT OF AROUND 2 INCHES AND WEAK ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW. SHORT WAVE FORECAST TO PASS OVER AND THROUGH AREA SUN NIGHT WILL ACT TO PUSH SURFACE FRONT SOUTH OF FA BY EARLY MONDAY. HOWEVER...FRONTAL SLOPE WILL BE VERY SHALLOW WITH SEVERAL WEAK SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN BROAD SWLY WIND FLOW ALOFT. THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD SET UP FOR ELEVATED CONVECTION THROUGH TUESDAY SO WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE LITANY OF CHANCE POPS THOUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. GFS AND EUROPEAN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN BRINGING MAIN SHORT WAVE THROUGH UPPER MIDWEST BY 00Z WEDNESDAY SO WILL END PRECIP MENTION AT THAT TIME. DRY PERIOD THEN SLATED FOR MID WEEK BEFORE WAVE PATTERN ACROSS NOAM AMPLIFIES INTO A WESTERN TROUGH...EASTERN RIDGE SET UP BY END OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL RE-ESTABLISH SUMMERLIKE FLOW OF MT AIR ACROSS AREA BY LATE THURSDAY OR THURSDAY NIGHT. MERZLOCK && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 14Z... SEVERAL CONCERNS FOR ORD AND MDW THIS AM AS SFC WINDS SHIFT NORTHEAST BEHIND WEAK SFC COLD FRONT SAGGING ACROSS AREA. WINDS TO SHIFT NORTHEAST WITH FROPA...AND CEILING AND VISIBILITY TO PLUNGE INTO IFR/POSSIBLY LIFR FOR A TIME AS COOLER AIR MOVES INTO VERY MOIST LLVL AIR OVER TERMINALS. IN ADDITION...THUNDER ALSO A CONCERN AS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX CURRENTLY OVER EASTERN IA/WESTERN IL MOVES EAST. RATZER //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 14Z... COLD FRONT HAS PASSED THROUGH ORD AS OF 13Z...AND WILL MOVE ACROSS MDW SHORTLY. ALONG WITH WIND SHIFT TO NORTHEAST...IFR CIGS/VIS CONDITIONS DEVELOPING IMMEDIATELY BEHIND FRONT AS COOL AIR MIXES WITH VERY MOIST HIGH DEW POINT AIR ACROSS TERMINALS. GUIDANCE NOT HANDLING THIS VERY WELL...SO FOR NOW HAVE AMENDED TO GO FAIRLY PESSIMISTIC WITH CIGS/VIS. LOCATIONS UPSTREAM AT UGN/ENW/RAC DOWN IN LIFR OR VLIFR RANGE AND CANT RULE OUT A SHORT PERIOD OF SUCH EVEN AT ORD/MDW. OTHER CONDERN IS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX MOVING FROM IA INTO WESTERN IL AT 13Z. WHILE CENTRAL/NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THIS AREA HAVE SHOWN WARMING CLOUD TOPS AND OVERALL DECREASE IN CONVECTION...SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THIS AREA OF SHOWERS/STORMS HAS SHOWN INTENSIFICATION WHERE CONVECTION LIKELY NEAR-SURFACE BASED. SPC/RUC MESOANALYSIS INDICATES AXIS OF 1000-2000 J/KG MUCAPES SUGGESTING THIS ACTIVITY MAY CONTINUE TO PROPAGE EASTWARD ACROSS TERMINALS THROUGH MID/LATE MORNING. GREATEST THREAT OF THUNDER APPEARS TO REMAIN PERHAPS JUST SOUTH OF TERMINALS...THOUGH HAVE BEEFED UP MENTION OF PRECIP AND HAVE INCLUDED A PERIOD OF TS AT RFD WHERE STORMS MAY NOT WEAKEN BEFORE THEY GET THERE. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS DRAPED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING WITH SURFACE LOW JUST TO THE EAST...A VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE REMAINS IN PLACE. THIS HAS BEEN SEEN WITH EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WITH CEILINGS VARYING FROM VFR TO IFR ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING. EXPECT CEILINGS TO LIFT BY MID MORNING FROM MVFR TO VFR. ALTHOUGH WITH THIS BOUNDARY FORECAST TO MOVE VERY LITTLE TODAY...THERE REMAINS THE CHANCE FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THIS FRONT. ALTHOUGH...CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS TIME IN TERMS OF TIMING. MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION BY MID DAY WHICH WOULD HELP THIS DEVELOPMENT. ALTHOUGH...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS IOWA IS COMPLICATING THINGS. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THIS CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY IN IOWA WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES EAST/NORTHEAST THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH...IF THIS CLUSTER DOES CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST/NORTHEAST...I HAVE IT ENTERING THE TERMINALS AROUND THE 15Z TIME FRAME. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SYSTEM/SITUATION AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. ANOTHER COMPLICATED PART TO THE FORECAST IS WITH A VARYING WIND DIRECTION TODAY. AS FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH...WINDS WILL CHANGE FROM A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION TO INITIALLY NORTHWEST THIS MORNING...THEN CONTINUE TO MORE OF A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION BY MID DAY. WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THEN SOUTH BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 15Z... HIGH CONFIDENCE IN WINDS SHIFTING NORTHEAST THIS MORNING BEHIND COLD FRONT. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN IFR CONDITIONS FOR A TIME THIS MORNING BEHIND FRONT. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN CONVECTION REMAINING LARGELY SOUTH OF ORD/MDW LATER THIS MORNING. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN IMPROVING TO VFR THIS AFTERNOON. RATZER //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 18Z SUNDAY-12Z THURSDAY...UPDATED 06Z... SUNDAY...CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA. MVFR POSSIBLE. MONDAY...CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA. MVFR POSSIBLE. TUESDAY...CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA. WEDNESDAY...VFR. THURSDAY...VFR. RODRIGUEZ && .MARINE... 329 AM CDT WEAK LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE EAST TODAY. WITH THIS DEPARTING LOW TODAY...WINDS OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE WILL TURN FROM A SOUTHWEST/WEST DIRECTION EARLY THIS MORNING TO MORE NORTHWEST TODAY...THEN TO A NORTHERLY DIRECTION LATER THIS AFTERNOON. WITH A SERIES OF WEAK SURFACE TROUGHS MOVING JUST SOUTH OF THE LAKE...WINDS OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF WILL VARY SOME BUT WITH NO REAL GUSTS EXPECTED. DURING THIS TIME FRAME...HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BUILD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS HIGH WILL THEN MOVE EAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS REACHING ONTARIO ON MONDAY. THIS WILL HELP GIVE MORE ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT...WHICH WILL THEN HELP TO INCREASE THE WINDS. ALTHOUGH AS THIS HIGH SLIDES TO THE EAST...PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ONCE AGAIN RELAX WITH FLOW BECOMING WEAK OVER THE LAKE BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 434 AM CDT SAT JUN 12 2010 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019- 130945- 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- 434 AM CDT SAT JUN 12 2010 /534 AM EDT SAT JUN 12 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS... NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN TODAY AS THE AIR OVER THE REGION DESTABILIZES WITH DAY TIME HEATING. THOUGH THERE IS A CHANCE THAT A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL AND BRIEF WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH...THE GREATER THREAT APPEARS TO BE HEAVY RAINFALL. VERY MOIST AIR IN PLACE...ALONG WITH SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS DUE TO WEAK MID LEVEL WINDS SUGGESTS LOCALIZED AREAS COULD GET A QUICK INCH OR TWO OF RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A DAY-TO-DAY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN AGAIN LATE THURSDAY INTO 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>745-130945- 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- 434 AM CDT SAT JUN 12 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE THROUGH MID EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A DAY-TO-DAY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN AGAIN THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && 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- 870-872-874-876-878-130945- 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- 434 AM CDT SAT JUN 12 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A DAY-TO-DAY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN AGAIN THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO MERZLOCK
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:08 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained winds of 55 mph with gusts to 65 mph lasting for 10 minutes were estimated by a storm chaser along Interstate 39, west of Paw Paw.
Two trees blew down along U.S. 52. Portable toilets blew over at a park. Part of the roof of a maintenance building blew off.
Large tree limbs were snapped by wind. A large tree limb fell on power lines and damaged a power pole. Nearly 400 customers lost power.
Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
A tree was blown down near Peace Road and Fairview Drive. Trees were blown down on multiple houses near 4th Street and Route 23. A large section of a roof was blown off of a house near 4th Street and Route 23. A 20 by 40 foot tent was blown down on the NIU campus. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas.
A large tree was blown down just west of Cortland. Numerous tree limbs were blown down between De Kalb and Cortland along Route 38.
A 20 inch diameter tree was blown down on County Line Road, south of Route 64, blocking both northbound and southbound lanes.
Half of an elm tree was blown down on train tracks at the Elburn train station.
Trees were blown down on Route 47 and 3rd Street, blocking roads.
A large tree, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, was blown down in a parking lot at the Kane County Emergency Management Office.
Large tree limbs were blown down and shingles were blown off of roofs. Wind gusts were estimated as high as 70 mph.
Trees were blown down near Long Point.
Trees were blown down.
A 10 inch diameter tree limb fell on a roof of a house. Wind gusted to 65 mph.
Wind gusts were measured to 72 mph.
Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph.
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, June 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: 235939, 242991, 243019, 235938, 235998, 235941, 235951, 235957, 235963, 235968, 235984, 235986, 235987, 235995, 235996, 235997.