A warm front lifting northeast through central Illinois resulted in scattered thunderstorms from late morning into the early afternoon. Some of the thunderstorms produced large hail and lightning damage.
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 warm front lifting northeast through central Illinois resulted in scattered thunderstorms from late morning into the early afternoon. Some of the thunderstorms produced large hail and lightning damage.
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 Aug 23, 9:43 AM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1043 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1040 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 MCS HOLDING ON THIS MORNING AND DIVING THROUGH THE NRN PORTIONS OF ILX CWA. WEATHER FOR NEXT 24 HOURS WILL BE DRIVEN MOSTLY BY THE MESOSCALE FEATURES. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THESE STORMS AND HEATING IN THE SOUTH DISPLACING THOSE BOUNDARIES WILL HELP TO ADD TO POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER AFTERNOON/EVENING ROUND OF TS. WILL BE UPDATING THE GRIDS FOR THE LATER CHANCES FOR PRECIP AND SOME MINOR TWEAKS HERE AND THERE WITH TEMPS. HJS && .AVIATION... ISSUED 656 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 WHILE THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL BE TRICKY TO PIN POINT ACROSS THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TERMINALS THROUGH THE 12Z TAF VALID TIME...THE BULK OF THE PERIOD IS EXPECTED TO BE DRY WITH VFR CONDITIONS. A STORM COMPLEX MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS THIS MORNING WILL PUSH AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS THAT MAY SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE ACROSS KPIA/KBMI/KCMI...BUT EVEN THERE THE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING/COVERAGE IS TOO LOW TO GO ABOVE A VCTS MENTION AT THIS TIME. SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE WAKE OF A DEPARTING AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BECOME GUSTY THROUGH DIURNAL MIXING LATER TODAY...WITH THE GUSTS FALLING OFF AGAIN THIS EVENING AS DIURNAL HEATING IS LOST. BAK && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 237 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 HIGH PRESSURE WAS CENTERED OVER WEST VIRGINIA...BUT STILL SEEING SOME LINGERING EFFECTS OF IT AS FAR WEST AS ILLINOIS. HAVE SEEN TEMPERATURES DIP AS LOW AS THE MID 50S ALONG THE INDIANA BORDER EARLY THIS MORNING. REGIONAL RADAR SHOWING AN INTENSIFYING MCS ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...MOVING SOUTHEAST. ANOTHER LESS-INTENSE MCS WAS UPSTREAM ALONG THE MINNESOTA/NORTH DAKOTA BORDER...NEAR A SHORTWAVE THAT WAS QUITE EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN INVOLVES THE MCS EVOLUTION...AND ITS ASSOCIATED RAINFALL TODAY. THIS INCLUDES SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. RENEWED DEVELOPMENT ON WEDNESDAY IS ALSO A CONCERN...ALONG WITH TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING COLD FRONT. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MCS HAS TAKEN A DEFINITE SOUTHEAST TURN RECENTLY...AND CORFIDI VECTORS SUGGEST THIS MOVEMENT SHOULD CONTINUE. LATEST HRRR...AS WELL AS AWIPS TIME-OF-ARRIVAL TOOL...SUGGESTS STORM ARRIVAL IN THE GALESBURG AREA TOWARD 8 AM. HOWEVER...LOW LEVEL JET IN THIS AREA IS NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS IT IS FURTHER BACK IN IOWA...SO SOME WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE AS THE MCS ARRIVES. HRRR SUGGESTS THE REMNANT RAINFALL MAY REACH AS FAR AS CHAMPAIGN BY LATE MORNING... BUT INSTABILITY THAT FAR EAST IS MUCH LESSER AND CONFIDENCE IN THAT SCENARIO IS LOW. RENEWED DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY INTO EVENING...AS THE REMNANT OUTFLOWS FROM THE TWO MCS SYSTEMS INTERACT WITH THE RECOVERING AIR MASS...AND THE UPPER WAVE BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS WISCONSIN AND ILLINOIS. SPC CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT PLACES THE SLIGHT RISK FROM ABOUT I-72 NORTH. ARRIVAL OF THE ACTUAL FRONT LAGS BEHIND THE UPPER WAVE CONSIDERABLY...WITH 00Z MODELS FAIRLY UNIFORM WITH A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING PASSAGE. PLENTY OF DESTABILIZATION SHOULD TAKE PLACE AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 90S...FIRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. SOME SEVERE POTENTIAL AGAIN...ALTHOUGH CHANCES WILL INCREASE FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST. RAIN WILL TAPER OFF QUICKLY BEHIND THIS FRONT...WITH THE ENTIRE CWA EXPECTED TO BE DRY BY SUNRISE THURSDAY. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY... HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD ACROSS THE MIDWEST THURSDAY BEHIND THE FRONT...SLOWLY DRIFTING EAST THROUGH FRIDAY. BEHIND IT...THE NEXT WAVE WILL DROP OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. LATEST GFS IS MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN BREAKING DOWN THE HIGH AND PRODUCING SHOWERS/STORMS ON SATURDAY...ALBEIT NORTH OF OUR AREA. ECMWF FEATURES A DISSIPATING SURFACE FRONT...WITH NO RAINFALL. WITH A RATHER PERSISTENT NORTHEAST FLOW OVER OUR AREA...THE LATTER SCENARIO SEEMS MORE PLAUSIBLE AT THIS TIME. HURRICANE IRENE MOVING UP THE EAST COAST IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE A BOTTLENECK THIS WEEKEND...IN ANY FEATURES MOVING THROUGH THE MIDWEST. THIS APPEARS TO HELP CARVE A RATHER SIGNIFICANT UPPER TROUGH OVER THE MIDWEST BY MONDAY. BEST RAIN CHANCES WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL PROBABLY BE JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE CURRENT FORECAST RANGE. GEELHART && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1134 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 ILZ027>031-036>038-041>046-241100- CHAMPAIGN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-PEORIA- PIATT-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-WOODFORD- 1134 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS DISTURBANCE AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS MAY SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PUSHES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...HEAT INDICES APPROACHING 100 DEGREES ARE LIKELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ILZ040-047>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-241100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MACON-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-RICHLAND- SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY- 1134 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS DISTURBANCE AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS MAY SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PUSHES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...HEAT INDICES APPROACHING 100 DEGREES ARE LIKELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. HJS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
927 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011
ILZ029>031-037-038-231515-
MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD-
927 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN TAZEWELL...NORTHERN
PEORIA...SOUTHERN MARSHALL...WESTERN MCLEAN AND WOODFORD COUNTIES
UNTIL 1015 AM CDT...
AT 921 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SPARLAND TO ROME TO
BRIMFIELD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WASHBURN...
SPRING BAY...
PEORIA...
METAMORA...
GERMANTOWN HILLS...
WEST PEORIA...
OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...HOPEWELL...KICKAPOO...ALTA...
MOSSVILLE...LOW POINT AND CAZENOVIA.
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 4076 8892 4075 8899 4067 8899 4066 8904
4063 8905 4063 8910 4060 8914 4059 8926
4047 8927 4045 8935 4087 8991 4093 8963
4106 8946
TIME...MOT...LOC 1427Z 310DEG 35KT 4099 8937 4087 8953
4083 8979
HJSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1040 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 NE DAHINDA 40.96N 90.09W
08/23/2011 M1.02 INCH KNOX IL CO-OP OBSERVER
TWO HOUR STORM TOTAL.
&&
JRPThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:14 UTC.
3 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
An auto body shop in the town of Fisher was struck by lightning, which ignited a fire. The building sustained minor damage. There was one person in the building, but they escaped without injury.
Storm spotters reported penny sized hail near Metamora.
Spotters reported nickel sized hail just west of Washington.
Spotters reported penny sized hail near Eureka.
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, August 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: 345547, 344606, 344607, 344608.