An approaching cold front triggered widely scattered thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of July 18th. One cell produced gusty winds that downed a tree in Vermilion County.
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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.
An approaching cold front triggered widely scattered thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of July 18th. One cell produced gusty winds that downed a tree in Vermilion County.
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 Jul 18, 5:55 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 655 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 321 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT JUST NORTH OF I-80 WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR OUR BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS...PARTICULARLY LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY AS IT DIPS INTO CENTRAL IL. PARTS OF CENTRAL AND ALL OF SE IL WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE FRONT MOST OF THE DAY THURSDAY...RESULTING IN AT LEAST ONE MORE HOT DAY WITH HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA. THE NAM AND EUROPEAN MODELS ARE THE BEST WITH THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AND EVENTUALLY WASHING IT OUT BY THE START OF THE WEEKEND. THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS...PARTICULARLY THE EUROPEAN...SHOW A STRONG SIGNAL THAT WE WILL RETURN TO VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS EARLY NEXT WEEK. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AN MCV/MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND THEN EVENTUALLY EAST-SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING INTO EARLY TONIGHT. CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS...AND JUST NORTH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT WILL SLIDE ACROSS NORTHERN IL. THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THIS MAY CATCH A FEW LOCATIONS BETWEEN I-80 AND I-74. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND T-STORMS WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS EVENING IN THE WARM SECTOR ACROSS CENTRAL IL. THE COLD POOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLUSTER OF STORMS IN NORTHERN IL IS EXPECTED TO HELP PUSH THE FRONT INTO CENTRAL IL BY LATE THURSDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF MODERATE INSTABILITY... MOISTURE IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE...THE SAGGING FRONT AND AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE DROPPING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL RESULT IN FAIRLY GOOD CHANCES OF T-STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTED MID LEVEL DRY AIR WHICH COULD RESULT IN WIND DAMAGE WITH SOME OF THE STORMS. DUE TO THE EXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT...DECIDED TO EXTEND THE HEAT ADVISORY INTO THURSDAY FOR AREAS SOUTH OF A RUSHVILLE- SPRINGFIELD-MARSHALL LINE. A FEW SHOWERS AND T-STORMS MAY LINGER IN SOUTHEAST IL FRIDAY MORNING AS THE FRONT WEAKENS AND EVENTUALLY WASHES OUT TO OUR SOUTH. TEMPERATURES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS HOT ON FRIDAY WITH READINGS FROM THE UPPER 80S TO THE LOWER 90S THANKS TO HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH AND AN EASTERLY FLOW. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A GRADUAL SHIFT IN OUR WINDS BACK TO THE SOUTH BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND WILL RESULT IN A RETURN TO HOT CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. WENT WITH A BLEND OF SEVERAL MODELS FOR TEMPERATURES MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH A RETURN INTO THE UPPER 90S LIKELY. IF THE EUROPEAN MODEL IS CORRECT WE WILL BE BACK INTO THE 100-105 RANGE FOR TEMPERATURES BY TUESDAY...WHICH WE WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON. THE LONGER TERM MODELS ALSO DO NOT GIVE US VERY GOOD CHANCES FOR ANY RAINFALL EARLY NEXT WEEK EITHER. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF SCATTERED...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING T-STORMS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS. HOWEVER...THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY WIDESPREAD RAINMAKERS ON THE HORIZON FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. MILLER && .AVIATION... ISSUED 655 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY SINK SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TERMINALS ON THURSDAY. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG/AHEAD OF THE FRONT...ALTHOUGH COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE TOO LOW TO GO ABOVE A VICINITY MENTION AT THIS TIME. OUTSIDE OF ANY HEAVY RAIN...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL TURN NORTHWEST IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. BAK && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR ILZ040-047>052-061>063- 066>068-071>073. HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ027>031-036>038- 041>046-053>057. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 418 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ILZ027>031-036>038-041>046-053>057-191100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON- MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT-STARK-TAZEWELL- VERMILION-WOODFORD- 418 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT VERY HOT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED....WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 DEGREES...AND HEAT INDEX READINGS BETWEEN 100 TO 110 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-74. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT STALLS OUT ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH 9 PM. ILZ040-047>052-061-191100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY- 418 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT VERY HOT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED....WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 DEGREES...AND HEAT INDEX READINGS BETWEEN 100 TO 110 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS FROM LATE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING... MAINLY NORTH OF I-74. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT STALLS OUT ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH 9 PM. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-191100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 418 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT VERY HOT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED....WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 DEGREES...AND HEAT INDEX READINGS RANGING BETWEEN 100 TO 110 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT STALLS OUT ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH PRIMARY HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE. HEAT INDICES WILL REACH NEAR 105 DEGREES AGAIN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. HUETTL
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was blown down near the intersection of 1750E and 2000N.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2012
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: 393923.