A weak cold front triggered strong to severe thunderstorms across northern Illinois during the evening of August 30th. A gust front from the nearby storms dropped into east-central Illinois, producing 50 to 60 mph winds across northern and central 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.
A weak cold front triggered strong to severe thunderstorms across northern Illinois during the evening of August 30th. A gust front from the nearby storms dropped into east-central Illinois, producing 50 to 60 mph winds across northern and central Vermilion County. As a result, several trees were blown down in the Danville area.
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 30, 8:01 PM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 901 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2013 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 900 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2013 Will be updating the forecast tonight to adjust chances of showers and thunderstorms, increasing chances over east central IL to 50-60% next few hours. Continued patchy fog overnight with muggy lows in the lower 70s. 1007 mb low pressure over southeast Ontario with a cold front extending through southern lower Michigan into northern IL (just north of our CWA) to 1008 mb low pressure in southeast IA and 1009 mb low pressure over northern KS. An area of showers & thunderstorms over northeast IL that was severe earlier this evening especially around Chicago metro with 50-75 mph winds, up to 1 inch hail and 2-4 inch rains is weakening as the leading edge pushes southward toward northern Vermilion county near Hoopeston due to weakening instability. SPC has slight risk of severe storms ne of I-74 next few hours but feel the strongest storms may produce wind gusts of 40-50 mph over northern Vermilion county next half hour. Models continue to slow down movement of cold front into central IL during overnight and Saturday and keeps a chance of showers and thunderstorms, which may redevelop more so Saturday afternoon southeast of I-55 in tropical airmass with dewpoints in the lower 70s. 07 && .AVIATION... ISSUED 630 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2013 A cold front extending from 1007 mb low pressure over Lake Huron through southern lower MI into far northern IL and to 1008 mb low pressure in east central IA and 1009 mb low pressure near the NE/MO/IA border. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts of 50-75 mph and hail up to 1 inch diameter and heavy rains up to 3 inches per hour has developed along this cold front from Rockford to Chicago and tracking sse at 20-35 mph. The brunt of these strong to severe storms should pass ne of central IL airports this evening. But have thunderstorms possible at PIA and BMI from 02Z-05Z, at CMI from 03Z-06Z and less of a chance further sw at SPI & DEC from 04Z-07Z. Models have trended slower with cold front sagging southward into central IL tonight due in part to weak low pressure along front, so have slowed down arrival of thunderstorms chances by an hour or two. Some fog to develop overnight with mvfr vsbys of 3-5 miles. Thunderstorms could redevelop Satursday afternoon near or just se of DEC and CMI and may need to add VCTS to cover this possibility after 18Z/1 pm Saturday. Winds stay under 10 kts next 24 hours and sw winds this evening turn ene Saturday at PIA and BMI while variable along I-72. 07 && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 249 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2013 Main concerns beyond the heat will be thunderstorms with the cold front tonight into Saturday and the next stronger cold front for Sunday afternoon and Sunday night. Then the cooler and drier airmass will provide relief from the heat for much of next week, starting with Labor Day. The models are in relative agreement on the placement of the main weather features, but not so much the varying convective complexes. We did not make major changes to the forecast, and used a blend of ECMWF and GFS for the details. SHORT TERM..Tonight through Sunday. Heat index readings this afternoon are firmly in the 100-105 range across the board, mainly due to the surface dewpoints creeping up into the mid 70s. The pooling of high dewpoints ahead of this initial cold front will aid in low level instability. MUCapes are up between 3-3.5K J/kg, but LCL heights are around 850 mb and LFC heights around 800 mb and 700mb temps around 12C are limiting towering cu development in our area at this point. As the cold front approaches, modified soundings show LCL/LFC heights lowering and updraft source regions lowering twrd the surface. We should see a few storms develop in our n-nw counties early this evening as the cold front arrives. The 17z SPC update to SWODY1 added a slight risk area to northern IL, down to the northern edge of Marshall/Stark counties. As the front approaches our counties, a surface low is projected to develop along the front in eastern Iowa, moving east along the front. The action of that wave along the front will work to slow the southward progress of the front. Instability will begin to weaken the later we get into the evening, so we decided to use chance pops this evening and only slight chance pops after midnight as the front slowly drops toward southern IL. Downdraft cape of 1200-1500 J/kg will be sufficient for strong winds to reach the surface in the stronger storms. Storm chances will continue along and ahead of the front east of I-55 on Saturday, mainly as afternoon re-development when we reach convective temps. The surface low will move mainly south with the front on Saturday, instead of continuing its eastward progress. That will further slow the southward movement of the front, especially in eastern IL along the Indiana border, where the cyclogenesis and southerly winds in the warm sector will work stall the front in that area. It will increase low level convergence, but wind shear aloft will remain quite weak, so severe potential will be low. Surface temps will be a few deg less hot than today, due to increased cloud cover near the low/front. Storm chances may linger in our SE counties Sat night, but any convection will be isolated. A bigger concern will be the arrival of the next cold front later Sunday and Sunday night. Instability parameters are favorable for some strong storms to develop Sunday afternoon and evening as the front arrives, but severe potential appears low per SPC day 3 outlook. LONG TERM...Monday through Friday. Another dry period will begin on Labor Day as a major change in airmass occurs behind that second cold front. Dewpoints will drop toward the 50s and high temps will only reach the upper 70s to low 80s. Tues will be another pleasant day as humidity levels continue to drop and highs remain around 80. A slight warm-up is projected for Wednesday as a weak surface trough pushes across the midwest and southwest winds increase in Illinois. Highs on Wed should push into the low to mid 80s, with the warmer temps in the SW areas. The trough is expected to pass quietly across Illinois Wed night into Thurs, with no precipitation. It will mainly work to lower temps a few degrees Thurs and Friday. SHIMON && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 328 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2013 ILZ027>031-036>038-045-046-311200- CHAMPAIGN-FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL- VERMILION-WOODFORD- 328 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES INTO THE REGION. THERE IS NOW A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S EARLY THIS EVENING WILL COMBINE WITH HUMID AIR TO PRODUCE PEAK HEAT INDEX VALUES IN THE 100 TO 105 INTO THE EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE 90S THROUGH SUNDAY. PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE AROUND 100 TO 105 DEGREES MOST DAYS. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES OUT OF THE REGION. HOWEVER...A SECONDARY BOUNDARY WILL ARRIVE ON SUNDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 6 PM AND MIDNIGHT. ILZ040>044-047>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-311200- CASS-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT- DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-LOGAN-MACON-MASON-MENARD- MORGAN-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY- 328 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S EARLY THIS EVENING WILL COMBINE WITH HUMID AIR TO PRODUCE PEAK HEAT INDEX VALUES IN THE 100 TO 105 INTO THE EARLY EVENING. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AND BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF THE AREA. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE 90S THROUGH SUNDAY. PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE AROUND 100 TO 105 DEGREES MOST DAYS. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES OUT OF THE REGION. HOWEVER...A SECONDARY BOUNDARY WILL ARRIVE ON SUNDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. GOETSCH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 407 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2013 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-311000- KNOX-STARK-PEORIA-MARSHALL-WOODFORD-FULTON-TAZEWELL-MCLEAN- SCHUYLER-MASON-LOGAN-DE WITT-PIATT-CHAMPAIGN-VERMILION-CASS- MENARD-SCOTT-MORGAN-SANGAMON-CHRISTIAN-MACON-MOULTRIE-DOUGLAS- COLES-EDGAR-SHELBY-CUMBERLAND-CLARK-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-CRAWFORD- CLAY-RICHLAND-LAWRENCE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GALESBURG...PEORIA...BLOOMINGTON... NORMAL...HAVANA...LINCOLN...CHAMPAIGN...URBANA...DANVILLE... JACKSONVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...TAYLORVILLE...DECATUR...CHARLESTON... MATTOON...SHELBYVILLE...EFFINGHAM...FLORA...LAWRENCEVILLE 407 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2013 ...HOT AND HUMID WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY... HEAT INDEX READINGS THROUGH EARLY EVENING WILL REMAIN IN THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE. HIGH TEMPERATURES TOMORROW WILL DROP TO THE UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S...BUT HEAT INDEX READINGS WILL STILL CLIMB INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE IN FROM THE NORTHWEST ON SUNDAY...AND COULD KEEP HEAT INDICES BELOW 100 DEGREES AGAIN ON SUNDAY...BUT AREAS SOUTH OF I-72 STILL APPEAR IN LINE FOR MORE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY. THIS COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY BRING RELIEF FROM THE LONG STRETCH OF HOT WEATHER...WITH MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES RETURNING FOR LABOR DAY. THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY INTO THIS WEEKEND WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES...ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE IN POOR HEALTH OR THOSE THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME EXPOSED TO THE HEAT. THIS INCLUDES STUDENTS WHO ATTEND SCHOOLS THAT LACK AIR CONDITIONING...OR ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUTDOOR SPORTS ACTIVITIES. TO AVOID BEING OVERCOME BY HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE...TAKE PLENTY OF BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS...WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING...AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. SHIMON
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:40 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down in Danville. Approximately 200 people lost power as 50 to 60 mph winds arrived along a gust front.
Several trees were blown down in Leisure Times Estates near Henning Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2013
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: 468264, 468268.