An upper-level disturbance interacting with an approaching cold front triggered scattered thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of June 16th. A few of the storms became severe, producing spotty wind damage and large hail.
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.
An upper-level disturbance interacting with an approaching cold front triggered scattered thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of June 16th. A few of the storms became severe, producing spotty wind damage and large hail. In addition, lightning caused a house fire in Dunlap in Peoria 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 Jun 16, 9:30 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1030 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1030 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 MAIN CONCERN REMAINS WITH ANY POTENTIAL CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE SEEN A COUPLE SHOWERS POP UP NEAR BLOOMINGTON AND EFFINGHAM EARLIER...BUT THESE FADED OUT AFTER ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES. SYNOPTIC COLD FRONT REMAINS OUT TO OUR WEST...FROM SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA TO CENTRAL KANSAS. REMNANTS OF EARLIER MCS OVER KANSAS SENT A WEAK BOUNDARY INTO WESTERN MISSOURI THAT WAS EVIDENT ON RECENT VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY...WHICH COULD BE A SOURCE FOR LATER REGENERATION. UPPER SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY IN EASTERN NEBRASKA ALSO A POTENTIAL SOURCE...AS EVIDENT ON LATEST NAM/HRRR RUNS. HOWEVER... 14Z RAP MODEL FAVORS MORE OF A POP-UP ENVIRONMENT OVER OUR AREA. SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES...WITH STRONG WINDS BEING MORE OF A THREAT DUE TO THE DRY LOW LEVELS. SLOW STORM MOVEMENT AND PWAT VALUES OVER 1.5 INCHES FAVOR SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN AREAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET SOME RAIN. DUE TO THE COMPLICATED SCENARIOS...HAVE NOT MADE ANY APPRECIABLE CHANGES TO THE RAIN FORECAST. TEMPERATURES STILL LOOK GOOD ASIDE FROM THE USUAL HOURLY GRID ADJUSTMENTS. HOWEVER...HAVE BUMPED UP THE DEW POINTS A FEW DEGREES. UPDATED ZONES/GRIDS HAVE BEEN SENT. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 639 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 UPPER WAVE CURRENTLY OVER NORTHEAST IOWA WILL LIFT NORTHWARD INTO WISCONSIN TODAY...WITH ANY ASSOCIATED CONVECTION LIKELY REMAINING NORTH OF THE KILX TERMINALS. AS LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA...BKN CU FIELD AT AROUND 6000FT WILL DEVELOP. ISOLATED SHOWERS/THUNDER MAY POP UP IN THIS INCREASINGLY MOIST AIR MASS AS WELL...HOWEVER AREAL COVERAGE WILL REMAIN MINIMAL...SO MENTION IN TAFS IS NOT WARRANTED. BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. 06Z NAM SUGGESTS SCT CONVECTION POTENTIALLY REACHING KPIA BY AROUND 23Z...THEN FURTHER EAST TO KCMI BETWEEN 02Z AND 03Z. DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES CONCERNING TIMING AND EXACT AREAL COVERAGE OF STORMS...HAVE OPTED TO ONLY MENTION VCTS AT THIS TIME. ANY STORMS THAT FIRE MAY TEND TO SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST OF THE TAF SITES OVERNIGHT...SO HAVE ENDED THUNDER THREAT FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER 08Z. WINDS WILL INITIALLY BE FROM THE SOUTH AT 5 TO 10KT EARLY THIS MORNING...THEN WILL VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AND INCREASE INTO THE 10 TO 15KT RANGE FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS MAY REACH 20 TO 25KT AT TIMES. BARNES && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 330 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT INCREASED CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT OVER ESPECIALLY NORTHERN COUNTIES. THIS DUE TO MCV REMNANTS/1012 MB LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL IA WITH TAIL OF CONVECTION EXTENDING SE INTO NW PARTS OF ILX CWA NW...CURRENTLY WEST OF PEORIA AND LIFTING NNE. AIR MASS GETS MORE UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON WITH CAPES OF 1500-2500 J/KG WITH SSW FLOW BRINGING IN HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S. GETS MOST UNSTABLE OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NW IL WHERE BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION OVER THE IL RIVER VALLEY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL/SE IL...JUST A FEW DEGREES COOLER NW OF THE IL RIVER WHERE MORE CLOUDS AND HIGHER CHANCES OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE OF CONVECTION OVER EASTERN IL THIS AFTERNOON. SPC HAS SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND NW IL THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...THOUGH BEST CHANCES OF SEVERE STORMS ARE WEST OF IL CLOSER TO APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE PLAINS. THIS FRONT TO PRESS SE INTO NW IL OVERNIGHT AND INTO CENTRAL IL ON SUNDAY (FATHERS DAY). BEST CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WILL BE OVER THE IL RIVER VALLEY AGAIN CLOSER TO FRONT WITH JUST SLIGHT CHANCES SE IL. BEST CHANCES OF CONVECTION SHIFT INTO CENTRAL AND SE IL SUNDAY WHILE LOWER CHANCES NW OF THE IL RIVER. A BIT COOLER HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S SUNDAY WITH MORE CLOUD COVER BUT HUMID AGAIN. CONTINUE ISOLATED CONVECTION CHANCES SUNDAY NIGHT WITH FRONT LIFTING BACK NORTHWARD ACROSS IL. INCREASED SSW WINDS MONDAY AND BRINGS BACK HOTTER AIR MASS WITH HIGHS BACK IN THE LOWER 90S WITH MORE SUNSHINE AND DRY WEATHER. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HOT CONDITIONS CONTINUE TUE THROUGH THU WITH HIGHS 90 TO 95F WITH UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND SE STATES. FRONTAL BOUNDARY NORTH OF IL DURING THIS TIME TO SAG BACK SOUTH INTO IL LATER NEXT WEEK RETURNING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF I-72 THU AND ACROSS AREA THU NIGHT AND FRI. TEMPERATURES TO COOL OFF BY NEXT WEEKEND AS UPPER LEVEL TROF DIGS OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. KH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1142 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>044-047>053-171100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-PIATT-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 1142 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY. WHILE SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY...PARTICULARLY AFTER 4 PM. ILZ045-046-054>057-061-171100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MOULTRIE-SHELBY-VERMILION- 1142 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING...AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...BUT THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FURTHER WEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...BUT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-171100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 1142 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. WHILE SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. GEELHART
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:13 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A downburst from an isolated thunderstorm did considerable damage to a school on the south side of Rantoul. Part of the roof was torn off the Broadmeadow Intermediate Grade Level Center. Several trees in the immediate area were also blown over.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
A three-foot diameter tree was blown down just southwest of Toulon.
A tree was blown onto a house in Tremont. Several power lines were knocked down around town as well.
A large tree limb was blown down onto power lines, causing a power outage.
Several power lines were blown down.
A tree and several tree limbs were blown down in Washington.
A lightning strike set a house on fire on Pauli Road in Dunlap. The house burned to the ground and was a total loss.
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, June 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: 392748, 392749, 392750, 392732, 392733, 392745, 392734, 392758, 392735, 392755, 392759, 392752, 392754, 392744.