A fast-moving line of severe storms moved east across southern Illinois, accompanied by locally damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. A few bowing segments along the line produced damaging winds.
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 PAH wrote it up.
A fast-moving line of severe storms moved east across southern Illinois, accompanied by locally damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. A few bowing segments along the line produced damaging winds. A negatively-tilted mid-level trough from the central high Plains to the Arklatex ejected northeast through the Middle Mississippi Valley. At the surface, an area of low pressure over northeast Kansas moved to central Wisconsin. A trailing cold front surged eastward through the Mid-Mississippi and Lower Ohio Valleys. The storms were fed by a broadening and strengthening southwesterly low-level jet, which destabilized the atmosphere ahead of the storms. The presence of strong low-level and deep-layer wind shear enhanced the risk of wind damage and tornadoes.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 3:34 AM CST, 7 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Paducah KY 334 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Friday night) Issued at 333 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 Busy morning, and the significant weather has not even moved into the area yet! Current convection over south central Missouri suprizingly being handled fairly well with the 12km NAM-WRF. Boundary layer ahead of this area remains quite saturated and thermal/wind gradient is actually better over the northeast Arkansas/Missouri BootHeel. However, both the latest NAM and GFS guidance show a nose of 0-2km instability nosing in near KPOF (Poplar Bluff Missouri) to just west of KCGI (near Marble Hill Missouri) between 12-15z (6am-9am CST). Re-introduced a mention of damaging wind in this Southeast Missouri Delta region for the potential of increasing wind momentum from line of convection producing at least marginally severe wind gusts. Wind shear in the 0-3km layer upticks across the Missouri Bootheel region and into the Purchase area of West Kentucky by 18z (noon). Added a mention of severe in the gridded forecast for southwest KY shortly before noon. Increasing deep layer (0-6km) of 70-80 knots nose into Southeast Missouri and the Purchase area of West Kentucky between 18z-21z (noon-3pm CST) per NAM-WRF and would lead to sharpening updrafts with steeping lapse rates at low levels. A focused area of severe thunderstorms was added to the gridded forecast for parts of West Kentucky to suggest higher potential for damaging wind, hail, and tornadoes. This also corresponds closely with the SPC 10% or greater Risk area for EF2 or greater tornadic potential. For simplification purposes, kept this area highlighted from noon to 6 pm CST (18z-24z). Little significant change in temperatures at this time. With ample moisture already available due to the antecedent stabilized conditions (e.g. fog), model guidance may be under-estimating the moisture pool available for buoyant updrafts. Leaned a little higher with dewpoints early on (this morning) to reflect that change. Dropped any mention of weather during the daytime hours on December 24, but slowly ramped up precipitation from the southeast toward sunrise Friday morning (Christmas). Main concern will be persistent rainfall over West Kentucky by Friday night, which may cause nuisance flooding issues. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Tuesday) Issued at 333 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 Looks to be shaping up to be a rather wet weekend, especially up in our northern/western sections, as a stationary front drapes along the Ohio River Valley and several pieces of mid lvl energy eject ne along it within deep southwest flow regime. Precipitable Water values progged to push over 1.5" suggest potential for some hefty rain amounts along/north of the surface boundary, so where this boundary sets of will be very important as to who gets the heaviest rainfall. South of the front, QPF and overall POPs will drop off fairly quickly, and temps will be unusually warm with record highs in the lower 70s a good bet. Models really diverge after the weekend with the handling of a deep cut-off upper low that will eventually lift north from TX into the southern Plains. This leads to low confidence forecast for early next week. There still is a large model spread as to how quickly this low lifts north into the Plains. Will continue with a compromise/superblend type solution at this point. Cannot rule out some severe threat with this system, depending on the track. Right now the severe risk looks a bit greater south/east of our area, but will need to monitor with time. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1209 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 It is an educated guess as to exactly what will happen with the cigs/vsbys overnight. As increasing low level winds will tend to scour out vsby-restricting fog as time goes on, LIFR/IFR cigs will probably hold on well into the day before rising to MVFR as showers/tstms, some strong to severe, get going in the daytime. Very strong south southwesterly winds are expected through the day with gusts up to 30kts possible. More intense gusts will be possible near any storms. Some showers are possible after dark with a cold fropa across the region very late in the 06Z TAF period. && .PAH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... IL...NONE. MO...NONE. IN...NONE. KY...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Smith LONG TERM...GM AVIATION...DB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1047 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-241100- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 1047 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THIS MORNING WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND MOVE EAST THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE REST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS INCLUDED THE ENTIRE AREA IN AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. DAMAGING WINDS, LARGE HAIL, AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. WITHIN THIS AREA, A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM DEXTER MISSOURI, VIENNA ILLINOIS, EVANSVILLE AND DALE INDIANA. THIS MODERATE RISK AREA INCLUDES ALL OF WEST KENTUCKY, AND A SMALL PART OF EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, AS WELL AS SOUTHWEST INDIANA. TORNADOES WITHIN LINES OF STORMS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL STRONG STORMS CONTAINING TORNADOES ARE LIKELY IN THIS AREA, ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THIS MORNING HAVE ALREADY HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE. THE STORMS ARE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST BETWEEN 60 AND 80 MPH. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD COMPLETELY EXIT THE QUAD STATE REGION BY 8 PM CST. MINOR FLOODING IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. PLEASE REFER TO FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS AS THEY ARE ISSUED FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST OFF AND ON FROM FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT MONDAY. THE PRIMARY WEATHER HAZARD DURING THIS TIME PERIOD WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED FLOODING OF POORLY DRAINED AND LOW-LYING AREAS. SOME STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS NEXT MONDAY. MINOR FLOODING IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. PLEASE REFER TO FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS AS THEY ARE ISSUED FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET. WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND, ANY SPOTTER REPORTS OF FLOODING OR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ARE ENCOURAGED AS WELL.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1012 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1012 AM TSTM WND GST NAYLOR 36.57N 90.61W
12/23/2015 M60 MPH RIPLEY MO EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORTED BY EM.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1018 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1017 AM TSTM WND DMG PIEDMONT 37.15N 90.70W
12/23/2015 WAYNE MO BROADCAST MEDIA
PORTIONS OF COMMUNITY WITHOUT POWER
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1019 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 AM TSTM WND DMG PIEDMONT 37.15N 90.70W
12/23/2015 WAYNE MO BROADCAST MEDIA
PORTIONS OF COMMUNITY WITHOUT POWER
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1025 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0955 AM TSTM WND DMG ELLSINORE 36.93N 90.75W
12/23/2015 CARTER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN ALONG PORTIONS OF HWY 21. THE HWY IS
CLOSING AT THIS TIME.
0955 AM TSTM WND DMG ELLSINORE 36.93N 90.75W
12/23/2015 CARTER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN WITH PORTIONS OF HWY 21 CLOSED.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1046 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1010 AM TSTM WND DMG GREENVILLE 37.13N 90.45W
12/23/2015 WAYNE MO EMERGENCY MNGR
DOWNED AND UPROOTED TREES ALONG HWY 34. PEA SIZE HAIL AND
HEAVY RAIN. ROAD PARTIALLY CLOSED
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1102 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1040 AM TSTM WND DMG MARBLE HILL 37.30N 89.98W
12/23/2015 BOLLINGER MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER OUTAGES REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. TREE DOWN
ALONG HWY 51 JUST NORTH OF HWY CC
&&
SMITTYThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:17 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Peak winds were estimated near 75 mph. Numerous large branches were snapped off trees. The tornado occurred over rural farm country with patches of dense woodlands.
A power pole was snapped at ground level on a city side street.
Peak winds were estimated near 95 mph. Numerous trees were snapped off near the base or uprooted. A portion of Route 154 was closed due to downed trees. Several homes sustained minor to major roof damage. Most of the damaged homes were located near the start of the damage track near Route 154. Several barns received significant damage. The tornado track ended on the south end of Tamaroa, where some tree limbs were broken.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust to 60 mph at a school just south of Carbondale off U.S. Highway 51.
A single-wide mobile home was blown over and destroyed west of Valier. A metal-framed barn collapsed in the Sesser area.
Several trees were blown down in the Marion area. One tree was blocking a portion of southbound Interstate 57. A couple of others were southeast of Marion in the New Denison area.
A power line was blown down near Herrin.
A tree was uprooted. The tree landed on a small outbuilding, causing structural damage.
Large tree branches were blown down. Tree debris was on some roadways.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust to 62 mph just northwest of Wayne City. Shingles were blown off a roof near Cisne.
A trained spotter observed a funnel cloud between the communities of Simpson and Glendale.
Maximum winds were estimated near 95 mph. A few trees were uprooted, and several trees or tree branches were snapped. Roofs were damaged on a home and a barn. The roof damage on the house was minor to moderate, consisting of partial loss of shingles. The track was through open farmland. The tornado path continued into Edwards County.
Nearly two dozen large trees were uprooted or snapped. Numerous large limbs were snapped. The tornado began near the intersection of County Roads 1500N and 850E and ended on County Road 1575. One large tree landed on a dog pound. Many of the downed trees were in a campground area on the northwest side of Carmi. A campground bath house was struck by a falling tree. Peak winds were estimated near 105 mph.
The tornado continued from Wayne County into Edwards County. Along the Edwards County portion of the path, there were several snapped trees. No structural damage was observed. The path was through sparsely populated farm country. Peak winds were estimated near 95 mph.
A National Weather Service damage survey revealed a strong downburst struck the community of Maunie. In Maunie, the cement and brick facade of a building partially collapsed. A tree was uprooted in front of the post office. About a half mile north of Maunie, one large irrigation unit was turned over and bent. Several large trees were uprooted, and large limbs were snapped. On County Road 1225, a machine shed roof was blown off. Peak winds were estimated near 100 mph.
A trained spotter estimated winds gusted around 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2015Warnings in Illinois, December 2015
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: 609764, 609768, 609767, 609771, 609757, 609760, 609759, 609758, 610049, 609772, 609754, 609776, 609779, 609777, 610047, 609762, 609755.