During the early morning hours of May 2nd a strong disturbance lifting northward centered the development of a line of thunderstorms along a warm front bisecting Illinois from west to east. As this line of thunderstorms moved eastward into northwest Illinois, it produced an isolated report of hail in Mercer County Illinois.
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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 DVN wrote it up.
During the early morning hours of May 2nd a strong disturbance lifting northward centered the development of a line of thunderstorms along a warm front bisecting Illinois from west to east. As this line of thunderstorms moved eastward into northwest Illinois, it produced an isolated report of hail in Mercer County Illinois.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 2, 2:32 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 332 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... LARGE...LINEAR MCS EXTENDED FROM SW AND W CENTRAL IA NORTHEAST TO WESTERN WI EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS COMPLEX WAS TRIGGERED BY A SHORTWAVE LIFTING THROUGH THE UPPER MS VALLEY THAT WAS INTERACTING WITH A 50 KT PLUS LOW LEVEL JET FEEDING HIGH THETAE AIR INTO THE NW TO SE FRONTAL AXIS OVER THE REGION. AT 07Z...THE SURFACE WARM FRONT EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL IL...NORTHWEST THROUGH WASHINGTON TO NEAR DSM. NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY...TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS WERE IN THE 50S...WHILE TEMPERATURES TO THE SOUTH WERE IN THE LOWER 70S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S. && .DISCUSSION... FOCUS IS ON THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE NEAR TERM AND THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SEVERE WEATHER ARE APPEARING LIKELY...ALONG WITH AN INCREASING RISK FOR FLOODING DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR REPEATED EPISODES OF HEAVY RAINFALL THAT MAY BE CENTERED OVER OR CLOSE TO THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. SEVERE THREAT...THUNDERSTORMS ADVANCING INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING APPEAR TO BE TRENDING TOWARD LESS A ORGANIZED...AND MORE CELLULAR CONFIGURATION AS THE COMPLEX MOVES INTO A MORE STABLE AIRMASS NORTH OF THE NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT. COULD STILL HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. BIG QUESTION IS ONCE AGAIN HOW THIS DISSIPATING COMPLEX EVOLVES INTO THE DAYLIGHT HOURS AND ITS IMPACT ON TEMPERATURES. FOR NOW...WILL ANTICIPATE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN A DISSIPATING MODE ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THIS MORNING...THEN CLEARING SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON WITH LOW CHANCES FOR ASSOCIATED BOUNDARIES BEING ABLE TO TRIGGER THUNDERSTORMS UNDER A DEVELOPING WARM CAP ALOFT. A GREATER THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE TONIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY NIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES INTERACTING WITH THE BOUNDARY THAT WILL LIKELY BE JUST NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE FULLY UNDER...TO JUST ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF A WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WITH PERIODS OF MID LEVEL LIFT AND ASSOCIATED SHEAR ALONG THE SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY AND POSSIBLE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. SPC HAS A SLIGHT RISK OVER THE MOST OF THE AREA FOR DAYS 1 THROUGH 3. MORE SPECIFIC THREATS AND TIMING WILL BE A CHALLENGE DUE TO THE NON-LINEAR NATURE...AND LOW PREDICTABILITY OF THESE TYPES COMPLEXES BEYOND 12 TO 24 HOURS. HIGH PW AIR AND REPEATED ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AND POSSIBLY WELL INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF FLOODING. BIGGEST CHANGE TO FORECAST OTHERWISE WAS TO ADJUST FOR THE FRONT POSSIBLY DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA FRI INTO FRI NIGHT THAT WOULD LEAD TO A PERIOD OF LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW RESULTING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES...AND A POSSIBLE BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION. SHEETS && .AVIATION... GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH NEXT 24 HOURS WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH POSSIBLE BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS TO 35 MPH THROUGH 12Z AT DBQ AND CID TERMINALS. THEN...ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS THAT MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE TO DEVELOP AFTER 00Z TONIGHT WITH STRONG WINDS AND BRIEF MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS. GENERAL WINDS OUT OF THE SE TO S AT 10 TO 20 MPH OUTSIDE ANY THUNDERSTORMS. NICHOLS && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && SHEETS/NICHOLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 451 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-031000- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 451 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT AND THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS A SLIGHT RISK OVER MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT HOURS...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED A SLIGHT RISK OVER MUCH OF THE AREA FOR BOTH DAYS. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE NEARLY EACH DAY. IT IS TOO SOON TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR AS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP INTO LARGE COMPLEXES THAT WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH FRIDAY. WITH RAIN EXPECTED NEARLY EACH DAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...FLOODING MAY EVENTUALLY OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHEETS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 250 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 IAZ040-041-051-052-063-064-076-077-087-021000- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-BENTON-LINN-IOWA-JOHNSON-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON- JEFFERSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...VINTON... CEDAR RAPIDS...MARENGO...IOWA CITY...SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON... FAIRFIELD 250 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS THROUGH 5 AM... AN AREA OF SLOWLY WEAKENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ALONG WITH A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL. SOME SMALL HAIL MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE. LOW LYING LOCATIONS MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE FOR A SHORT PERIOD SOME PONDING OF WATER WITH ANY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE RAIN AMOUNTS BETWEEN .25 TO .75 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OVER 1 INCH IN THE STRONGEST STORMS. ANY LOOSE ITEMS MAY BE BLOWN ABOUT IN THE GUSTY WINDS. NICHOLS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
345 AM CDT WED MAY 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 AM HAIL NORTH ENGLISH 41.52N 92.08W
05/02/2012 E0.75 INCH IOWA IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
UP TO DIME SIZE.
&&
BILLNPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
349 AM CDT WED MAY 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0347 AM HAIL 1 ENE NORTH ENGLISH 41.52N 92.07W
05/02/2012 E0.75 INCH IOWA IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DLSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 402 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 IAZ042-053-054-065>068-078-088-089-ILZ001-015-024-021100- DUBUQUE-JONES-JACKSON-CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-LOUISA- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-JO DAVIESS-ROCK ISLAND-MERCER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DUBUQUE...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA... TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF...DAVENPORT...WAPELLO... MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON...GALENA...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND... ALEDO 402 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS THROUGH 6 AM... AN AREA OF SLOWLY WEAKENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ALONG WITH A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL. SOME SMALL HAIL MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE. LOW LYING LOCATIONS MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE FOR A SHORT PERIOD SOME PONDING OF WATER WITH ANY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE RAIN AMOUNTS BETWEEN .10 TO .5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 1 INCH IN THE STRONGEST STORMS. ANY LOOSE ITEMS MAY BE BLOWN ABOUT IN THE GUSTY WINDS. NICHOLS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
426 AM CDT WED MAY 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 AM HAIL 2 W CEDAR RAPIDS 41.97N 91.71W
05/02/2012 E0.25 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GROSSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
500 AM CDT WED MAY 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0439 AM TSTM WND GST FRUITLAND 41.35N 91.13W
05/02/2012 E60.00 MPH MUSCATINE IA TRAINED SPOTTER
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
0439 AM HAIL FRUITLAND 41.35N 91.13W
05/02/2012 E0.88 INCH MUSCATINE IA TRAINED SPOTTER
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
GROSSThe Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:01 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter reported hail was mostly penny sized with quarter sized mixed in. Time of the event was estimated from radar due to a delayed report.
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, May 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: 383778.