Showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening of May 9th as a warm and humid airmass spread northward into the region ahead of an approaching upper-level disturbance. One of the storms produced widespread wind damage across the town of Sumner in Lawrence County.
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The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.
Showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening of May 9th as a warm and humid airmass spread northward into the region ahead of an approaching upper-level disturbance. One of the storms produced widespread wind damage across the town of Sumner 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 May 9, 8:01 PM CST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 901 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 901 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND WITH REMNANTS OF ANOTHER MCS COMING IN FOR LATER TONIGHT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY SO DO NOT THINK MUCH FOG WILL OCCUR LATE TONIGHT LIKE LAST NIGHT. CLOUDS WILL KEEP TEMPS UP AS WELL AND CURRENT FORECAST LOW LOOKS FINE. GIVEN RADAR TRENDS HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POP/WX GRIDS. SO UPDATE WILL BE COMING SHORTLY. && .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 251 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM JUST SOUTH OF ST LOUIS AND FLORA TO TERRE HAUTE WILL SLOWLY LIFT BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TOWARD I-72 TONIGHT (STAYING SOUTH OF I-72 TONIGHT). AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME HEAVY RAIN WAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A TAYLORVILLE TO MATTOON TO PARIS LINE AND LIFTING SLOWLY NORTHWARD. THIS ASSOCIATED WITH MCV EAST OF ST LOUIS AND SLOWLY TRACKING NNE INTO SW IL AT MID AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL IL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHILE BECOMING MORE SCATTERED IN SOUTHEAST IL AS THEY GET INTO THE WARM SECTOR. TAIL END OF HRRR MODEL AND RAP13 MODEL SHOW MORE CONVECTION SPREADING NE INTO SW CWA LATER TONIGHT AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER MCV OVER EASTERN OK. SPC KEEPS MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE STORMS SW OF IL OVER MO THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAVE WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH WITH PEA SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS NEAR 1 INCH IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. LOWS TONIGHT RANGE FROM UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60F NORTH OF LINCOLN TO THE MID 60S FROM JACKSONVILLE AND SPRINGFIELD TO MATTOON SOUTH. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 251 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 UNSETTLED AND UNSEASONABLY MILD WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS THROUGH MONDAY. STILL A COUPLE MORE WAVES IN THE PERSISTENT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT NEED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BEFORE THE VIGOROUS CUT-OFF UPPER LOW OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION FINALLY DRIVES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. THIS FRONT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY COOLER & DRIER AIR FOR MUCH OF THE WORK WEEK. SUNDAY SHOULD START OUT WITH SHOWERS/STORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION AS A DISTURBANCE, CURRENTLY PRODUCING VIGOROUS CONVECTION ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS, TRACKS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. DO NOT EXPECT THE MORNING STORMS TO BE SEVERE. THEN, ATTENTION TO THE UPPER AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW THAT WILL BE PICKING UP STEAM AS IT TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. A WARM FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHEAST FROM THE LOW ACROSS THE MIDWEST WILL LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE DAY. STILL SOME SIGNIFICANT MODEL DISAGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO HOW QUICKLY THE FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD. THE POSITION OF THIS FRONT DURING PEAK HEATING WILL BE KEY TO WHERE THE BEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL EXIST. AT THIS POINT, IT APPEARS THE BEST SHEAR/INSTABILITY WILL CO- EXIST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE SHEAR PROFILES WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE IMPRESSIVE FURTHER NORTHWEST, ACROSS IOWA, CLOSER TO THE TRACK OF THE UPPER/SURFACE LOW. THE LOWS WILL TRACK ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES ON MONDAY DRAGGING THE TRAILING COLD FRONT THROUGH ILLINOIS. STILL SOME MODEL DISAGREEMENT IN THE SPEED OF THE COLD FRONT, WHICH WILL BE KEY TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ON MONDAY. THE NAM, WHICH HAD BEEN THE QUICKEST MODEL, IS NOW AMONG THE SLOWEST SOLUTIONS. CONTINUE TO FAVOR A SLOWER SOLUTION GIVEN THE CURRENT POSITION/SPEED OF THE SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHWEST STATES, AND A TYPICAL MODEL BIAS OF BEING TOO QUICK MOVING CUT-OFF LOWS. THESE FACTORS CONSIDERED, IT APPEARS THAT THE BEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON MONDAY LOCALLY IS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS DURING THE MONDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HOURS. QUIETER AND COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE MONDAY NIGHT AND LINGER FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. DAYTIME HIGHS THAT HAD FREQUENTLY BEEN IN THE 80S AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL MAINLY BE IN THE 60S AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE ECMWF, WHILE SLOWER THAN IT WAS A COUPLE DAYS AGO, IS STILL THE QUICKEST TO BRING A SYSTEM BACK INTO THE AREA BY THE END OF THE WEEK AS SOUTHWEST UPPER-LEVEL FLOW REDEVELOPS AND TEMPERATURES TEND TO CLIMB BACK TOWARD NORMAL. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 652 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA, EFFECTING ALL TAF SITES FOR NEXT 3-4HRS. THEN THERE SHOULD BE A BREAK IN THE PCPN CHANCES UNTIL THE NEXT POSSIBLE SHOWERS/T-STORMS WILL BE OVERNIGHT AS REMNANTS OF ONGOING CONVECTION IN SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MO MOVES UP INTO THE AREA. SO WILL HAVE VCTS FOR ALL SITES OVERNIGHT. WILL HAVE IT ALL NIGHT, THOUGH WILL NOT BE THAT LONG. HOWEVER, TIMING UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW. BY MORNING, THINGS SHOULD DISSIPATE AS THE FRONT BEGINS TO LIFT NORTH OF THE AREA. HOWEVER, WITH LOTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AROUND, WILL HAVE HZ FOR ALL SITES. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT BUT EASTERLY THIS EVENING BUT BECOME NORTHEAST AT PIA AND BMI WITH FRONT JUST TO THE SOUTH, AND SOUTHEAST AT SPI/DEC/CMI. BY MORNING, ALL SITES SHOULD BE SOUTH OF FRONT SO WILL HAVE SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT ALL SITES. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...AUTEN SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM...BAK AVIATION...AUTEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 303 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>053-101100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 303 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-72...WITH BETTER COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...A FEW OF THE STORMS FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ESPECIALLY FROM I-72 SOUTH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY EVENING. A WARM FRONT WILL BE PUSHING ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND COMBINED WITH A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS...SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR A FEW TORNADOES WILL EXIST SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MID SUNDAY EVENING... ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WARM FRONT...WHICH AT THIS TIME IS FORECAST TO BE ALONG OR JUST NORTH OF I-74. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE PRIMARY TIME FRAME FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON SUNDAY WOULD BE FROM 2 TO 10 PM. ON MONDAY...AS THE STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS WELL TO OUR NORTHWEST...A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA BRINGING THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE PRIMARY THREATS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON WOULD BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-55. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044>046-054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-101100- CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SHELBY- VERMILION- 303 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR DURING THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT AND BECOME MORE WIDELY SCATTERED SOUTH OF I-70 AFTER DARK. ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...A FEW OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-72. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY EVENING. A WARM FRONT WILL BE PUSHING ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND COMBINED WITH A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE PRIMARY TIME FRAME FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON SUNDAY WOULD BE FROM 2 TO 10 PM. ON MONDAY...AS THE STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS WELL TO OUR NORTHWEST...A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA BRINGING THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. THE PRIMARY THREATS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON WOULD BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. 07
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:13 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A swath of wind damage extended from west to east across Sumner. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down in an area about 3 blocks wide and 10 blocks long. No significant structural damage occurred and no injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 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: 578594.