A weak cold front dropping southward through the region triggered a broken line of showers and thunderstorms during the morning of July 19th. One cell produced gusty winds and minor damage in Bridgeport in Lawrence County.
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 weak cold front dropping southward through the region triggered a broken line of showers and thunderstorms during the morning of July 19th. One cell produced gusty winds and minor damage in Bridgeport in Lawrence 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 19, 5:56 AM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 656 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 300 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY 07Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER EASTERN IOWA...WITH COLD FRONT STRETCHING W/SW INTO NORTHERN KANSAS. WHILE MAJORITY OF CONVECTION OVERNIGHT HAS BEEN TIED TO THE STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS/INDIANA...WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED ALONG THE TRAILING COLD FRONT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS MORNING...WITH MINIMAL AREAL COVERAGE OF 30 PERCENT OR LESS. AS THE ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZES LATER TODAY...THE FRONT WILL LIKELY BECOME MORE ACTIVE ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH CAPE/LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT WILL SUPPORT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. IN ADDITION...WITH FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES BETWEEN 1.75 AND 2 INCHES...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY IN A FEW SPOTS. DUE TO ANTICIPATED TIMING OF FRONT...THINK MOST WIDESPREAD CONVECTION AND BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WILL DEVELOP A BIT FURTHER EAST ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. AS FOR RAIN CHANCES ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS TODAY...HAVE FOCUSED HIGHEST POPS ALONG/EAST OF I-57...TAPERING DOWN TO JUST 30S IN THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY. OUTSIDE OF SCATTERED CONVECTION...IT WILL BE ANOTHER HOT AND HUMID DAY. HIGH TEMPS WILL LIKELY BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN CWA DUE TO FROPA AROUND MIDDAY...WHILE READINGS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME AS YESTERDAY. SHOULD SEE HIGHS RANGING FROM THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER...TO AROUND 100 ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70. WILL HOLD ON TO A SLIM CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS INTO THE EVENING...AS UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH SINKS SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE AREA. IN THE WAKE OF THE TROUGH...COOLER AND LESS HUMID WEATHER WILL BE IN STORE FOR FRIDAY. WITH 850MB TEMPS PROGGED TO DROP INTO THE 16 TO 18C RANGE...HIGH TEMPS WILL ONLY REACH THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 DEGREES. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE EXTENDED FORECAST WILL BE DOMINATED BY THE PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE POSITIONED OVER THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY. MAIN STORM TRACK WILL REMAIN WELL TO THE N/NE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES...THEREFORE RAIN CHANCES WILL BE SLIM TO NONE THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. GFS TRIES TO BRING A BOUNDARY SOUTHWARD INTO ILLINOIS BY TUESDAY...HOWEVER AM VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS SOLUTION GIVEN OVERALL STRENGTH OF RIDGE. 850MB TEMPS WILL STEADILY INCREASE...WITH THE ECMWF INDICATING 24 TO 26C BY TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY. HAVE BOOSTED HIGHS INTO THE UPPER 90S MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT IF TRENDS CONTINUE...HIGHS WILL LIKELY TOP 100 DEGREES DURING THAT TIME. BARNES && .AVIATION... ISSUED 656 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012...FOR THE 12Z TAFS A LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL PRIMARILY AFFECT SPI/CMI/DEC FOR A FEW HOURS THIS MORNING. THE LINE SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATER MORNING...WHICH WILL ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO DESTABILIZE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS SUNSHINE BECOMES MORE PROMINENT FOR A FEW HOURS. HIGH CAPE VALUES WILL DEVELOP...CREATING ENOUGH INSTABILITY AHEAD OF THE FRONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOME LOCALLY SEVERE STORMS NEAR THE DEC/CMI TERMINALS. STRONG STORMS COULD ALSO AFFECT SPI/BMI...BUT CHANCES ARE LESS LIKELY THAT FAR WEST. WE DID NOT INCLUDE ANY MENTION OF THUNDER IN THE AFTERNOON WITH THE 12Z TAFS...AS TIMING AND COVERAGE MAY ONLY BE 30 PCT OF THE AREA AND POSSIBLY ONLY SOUTHEAST OF THE DEC/CMI TERMINALS. WINDS WILL BE VARIABLE NEAR THE FRONT THIS MORNING FOR PIA/BMI. NORTHWEST FLOW SHOULD DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING ACROSS THE NORTH...WITH SPI SEEING BY EARLY AFTERNOON OR SO. CMI/DEC MAY SEE THE WIND SHIFT TO NORTHWEST DELAYED UNTIL MID AFTERNOON. ALL OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THE MORNING CONVECTION HAVE MADE FRONTAL IDENTIFICATION MORE DIFFICULT...WHICH COMPLICATES FORECASTING THE FRONTAL MOVEMENT DURING THE DAY. WE ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY REDUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY FROM FOG...WITH VIS BRIEFLY DROPPING TO MVFR/IFR DURING STORMS. SHIMON && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ040-047>052- 061>063-066>068-071>073. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 612 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 ILZ027>031-036-037-041-042-201100- FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 612 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS IS LOW FOR AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 THROUGH TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ040-047>052-201100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- 612 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY HOT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED....WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S...AND HEAT INDEX READINGS BETWEEN 100 TO 106 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS IS LOW FOR AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 THROUGH TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ038-043>046-053>057-201100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MCLEAN-MOULTRIE-PIATT- VERMILION- 612 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING... EAST OF A LINE FROM BLOOMINGTON TO DECATUR TO SHELBYVILLE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 3 PM AND 9 PM. ILZ061>063-066>068-071>073-201100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- SHELBY- 612 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY HOT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED....WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES...AND HEAT INDEX READINGS BETWEEN 100 TO 106 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS FROM LATE AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RETURN MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 105. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 4 PM AND 11 PM. SHIMON
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:14 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees and large tree limbs were blown down. A small shed was destroyed, and the roof was blown off a pole barn.
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: 393926.