A tight pressure gradient between a departing high and an approaching cold front caused strong winds to develop across central Illinois on April 3rd. with gusts as high as 55 mph observed along and east of the I-57 corridor.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 tight pressure gradient between a departing high and an approaching cold front caused strong winds to develop across central Illinois on April 3rd. Wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph were common...with gusts as high as 55 mph observed along and east of the I-57 corridor. As a result of the strong winds, a few trees were blown down and minor structural damage was reported.
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 3, 11:17 AM CST, 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1217 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 953 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 WIND SPEEDS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN. ALREADY GETTING GUSTS OVER 35 MPH WEST OF I-55 IN TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT...AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED IN NORTHWEST IOWA. SHOULD SEE THIS AXIS OF HIGH WINDS PUSH INTO THE EASTERN CWA THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS AND PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WHILE AREAS NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER LIGHTEN UP A TAD AS THE COLD FRONT BEGINS TO APPROACH. HAVE INCREASED THE WINDS A BIT IN THE GRIDS...AS WINCHESTER PROFILER SHOWING 50 KNOTS RIGHT OFF THE SURFACE AND CLEAR SLOT CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH THE AREA WILL HELP MIX THIS DOWN. AS FOR RAIN CHANCES...12Z SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A TIGHTENING CAP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER LATE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT MAIN ACTIVITY STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE IN THIS EVENING. GRID UPDATES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT...AND ZONE UPDATES SHOULD BE OUT AROUND 10 AM. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1215 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 SHORT TERM CONCERN REMAINS THE HIGH WINDS. HAVE HAD SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS OF 35+ KNOT GUSTS THE LAST FEW HOURS...WITH 45 KNOTS RECENTLY REPORTED AT KCMI AND 44 KNOTS AT KSPI AROUND 1530Z. AXIS OF STRONGEST WINDS HAS SHIFTED INTO EASTERN ILLINOIS IN THE MIDST OF A CLEAR SLOT. AREAS FURTHER WEST WILL STILL GUST 30-35 KNOTS OR HIGHER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WITH A VERY SLOW DIMINISHING TREND AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS MISSOURI AND IOWA. NEXT CONCERN IS WITH THIS FRONT...AS IT TRIGGERS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS EVENING. HAVE NOT MADE ANY REAL CHANGES IN THE TIMING OF THE ONSET OF STORMS FOR NOW...BUT MAY NEED TO TWEAK BY AN HOUR OR TWO ONCE THE STORMS ACTUALLY FORM. LOOKS LIKE FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL RANGE FROM 06-12Z. WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE FRONT...AND SHOULD GUST AGAIN FROM 20-25 KNOTS MONDAY IN THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. MVFR CONDITIONS ALONG/BEHIND THE FRONT SHOULD LINGER MOST OF THE MORNING. GEELHART && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 321 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 DEVELOPING LOW OVER THE NRN PLAINS TO DRIVE THE WEATHER IN THE SHORT TERM. HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING OFF TO THE EAST AND INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS TO BRING TEMPS AND DWPTS UP TODAY AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM. THESE ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS FOR THE FORECAST OVERALL. MODELS STILL IN MODERATE DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE FRONT...AND THE PRECIP. ANOTHER ISSUE FOR THE FORECAST AT THIS POINT IS THE RETURN OF EVEN MORE RAIN FOR THUR/THUR NIGHT. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... DEVELOPING LOW OVER THE PLAINS WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TODAY...WITH INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW AND WINDS IN THE 25-35 MPH SUSTAINED CATEGORY...WITH GUSTS NEAR 40-45 MPH...WITH BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SHOWING WINDS AROUND 40KTS AT 2000 FT. WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT ACROSS THE CWA AND RATHER TURBULENT WINDS SHOULD LEND THEMSELVES TO HELPING ERODE A SUBSTANTIAL CAP...IN CONCERT WITH ANY BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...CANNOT DISCOUNT CHANCES FOR SOME ISLD/SCT SHOWERS/TS IN THE FAR NORTHERN CWA TODAY AND HAVE ADDED SOME LOW CHANCES. LARGER THREAT STILL IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH THE APPROACH OF THE COLD FRONT. SLIGHT RISK OVER ALMOST ENTIRE CWA FOR THREAT IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. STORMS COULD BE QUITE DIVERSE BY THE TIME THEY REACH CENTRAL/NW IL...AND ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF LG HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...THE LLVL SHEAR IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A THREAT FOR ROTATING STORMS/ISLD TORNADOES AS WELL. LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... FRONT THROUGH MUCH OF THE CWA BY 12Z MONDAY...AND HOURLY TEMPS BASED ON DIURNAL CURVE NOT WORTH MUCH IN THIS SCENARIO. ECMWF STILL SLOWEST LEAVING SRLY COMPONENT TO WINDS IN FAR SERN CWA INTO THE MORNING HOURS MON...RESULTING IN THE MAJORITY OF MONDAY HIGHS BEING REACHED THAT MORNING. THAT BEING SAID...THE SLOWER ECMWF STILL CLEARS OUT PRECIP MONDAY EVENING...SO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED POPS MON NIGHT...WITH ONLY SLIGHTS UP AGAINST THE FAR EAST TO COVER ANY REMNANTS. TEMPS A BIT LOWER TUESDAY...BUT STILL MODERATE QUICKLY INTO THE END OF THE WEEK. NEXT THREAT OF PRECIP FOR THURS/THURS NIGHT HAS SOME TIMING ISSUES WITH THE GFS MORE AGGRESSIVE AS USUAL...BUT STICKING TO THE FAR MORE CONSERVATIVE ECMWF FOR NOW...PARTICULARLY WITH ANOTHER SHIFT FROM A QUASI-ZONAL SITU FOR TUES NIGHT TO WED NIGHT...AND ANOTHER MASSIVE WAVE DIGGING IN OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CONUS. MUCH MORE INCLINED TO GIVE THE SYSTEM TIME TO DEVELOP. HJS && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ027>031-036>038- 040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1142 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047-049-050-041100- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MASON-MORGAN-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 1142 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH DURING THE EVENING. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH THE BULK OF THE STORMS WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL TONIGHT. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS...WITH LARGE HAIL ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE REGION BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...WITH THE MOST LIKELY TIME FRAME BETWEEN 6 PM AND MIDNIGHT. ILZ038-042-043-048-051>053-041100- CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-LOGAN-MACON-MCLEAN-MENARD-SANGAMON- 1142 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...BETWEEN THE ILLINOIS RIVER AND I-55. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH SOME DURING THE EVENING...BUT WILL STILL GUST TO OVER 30 MPH. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...WITH LARGE HAIL ALSO POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE REGION BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...WITH THE MOST LIKELY TIME FRAME BETWEEN 8 PM AND 2 AM. ILZ044>046-054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-041100- CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SHELBY- VERMILION- 1142 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH AT TIMES INTO EARLY EVENING...THEN SLOWLY DIMINISH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...WITH LARGE HAIL ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE REGION BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...PRIMARILY AFTER MIDNIGHT. GEELHART
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1204 PM CDT SUN APR 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1027 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 NNW SPRINGFIELD 39.83N 89.67W
04/03/2011 M51 MPH SANGAMON IL ASOS
AT CAPITAL AIRPORT
1121 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N HOMER 40.06N 87.96W
04/03/2011 M53 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL MESONET
SWOP REPORT
1147 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 S CHAMPAIGN 40.04N 88.28W
04/03/2011 M52 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL ASOS
AT WILLARD AIRPORT
1151 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 SW POTOMAC 40.26N 87.87W
04/03/2011 M54 MPH VERMILION IL MESONET
&&
GEELHARTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
100 PM CDT SUN APR 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1249 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 S CHAMPAIGN 40.04N 88.26W
04/03/2011 M53 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL ASOS
AT WILLARD AIRPORT
&&
GEELHARTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was blown over in Danville at Vermilion and Lake Shore Drive.
A large tree was blown over in Taylorville, causing minor damage to a roof.
A 40 to 50-foot segment of wooden fence was blown over in Urbana.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2011
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: 288392, 288395, 288391.