A landspout tornado (or more simply, a landspout) formed on a lake breeze boundary on the afternoon of August 9th just prior to 4pm CDT. This landspout was observed by the FAA contract observer on duty at Midway Airport.
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The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.
A landspout tornado (or more simply, a landspout) formed on a lake breeze boundary on the afternoon of August 9th just prior to 4pm CDT. This landspout was observed by the FAA contract observer on duty at Midway Airport. The tornado was estimated to have begun at 3:48 PM CDT and dissipated at 3:58 PM CDT. This was the first tornado within the city limits of Chicago since a brief F-0 on the campus of Loyola University on September 22, 2006.
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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 9, 2:23 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL 323 PM CDT TUE AUG 9 2016 .SHORT TERM... 319 PM CDT Through Wednesday... Partly cloudy to partly sunny skies in place this afternoon with diurnal CU development, as well as scattering mid level clouds overhead associated with weak energy traversing the region. These clouds will scatter early this evening, with mostly clear skies then expected for most of the night. Dewpoints will slowly increase through the period, and although confidence is not overly high, do think at least patchy fog will be likely overnight. Dry conditions still expected to be in place this afternoon through the forecast period for most locations. However, some weak scattered precip is possible in east central Illinois and northwest Indiana Wednesday afternoon. Rising heights aloft and some slight warming tonight into Wednesday will help provide temps around 90 for most locations Wednesday, except near the lake with lake cooling. With increasing dewpoints, slightly more humid conditions will also be observed. Rodriguez && .LONG TERM... 320 PM CDT Wednesday night through Tuesday... An upper closed low presently across the northwest U.S. will become a positively tilted trough moving across the High Plains on Thursday. Associated cyclogenesis across the northern to central Plains will result in increasing southerly winds across the area by Thursday. Prior to that on late Wednesday night, increased dew points and continued light flow could result in patchy fog. Some guidance is even indicating areas of stratus development which had been seen across parts of Iowa last night, so not totally unreasonable. If that were to come to fruition that could stunt some warming on Thursday morning, though regardless it looks like a warm and humid day. The thermal ridge of 19C to 20C over the area will likely support the lower 90s for highs, dependent on cloud cover. Heat indices are presently favored to reach around or top 100, with the 100 to 105 range most likely in the west and south where dew points are highest. Support and focus for storms will remain quite marginal Thursday and Thursday evening, but cannot completely rule out isolated storms, mainly in the southeast forecast area. Profiles indicate a small cap and it has the look that if anything develops it would be widely isolated at best. Increased chances for storms look to arrive late Thursday night or more so Friday. There looks like there could be MCS development across Minnesota or possibly even northern Iowa on Thursday night. This could clip or move into the area in a diminishing state during late Thursday night or Friday. Even without that, it looks like there could be quite a bit of cloud cover across the north and west on Friday during the day which may limit destabilization ahead of the front. The overall positive tilt of the trough will limit better forcing for ascent, though the high moisture with PWATs around two inches and deep layer convergence should support showers and some storms during the day and/or evening. Confidence is steadily increasing for a large part of the area if not all of it to be mainly dry by Saturday afternoon onward into the weekend with the global guidance trend quicker with the front. While the initial cool front will ease temperatures and dew points some, greater dry advection moves in on Sunday into Monday. MTF && .AVIATION... For the 18Z TAFs... No significant changes to the TAFs, with VFR conditions generally expected this forecast period. Did increase cloud cover for this afternoon, with VFR ceilings likely through early afternoon. Under clearer skies tonight, fog will be possible but mainly impact RFD/DPA through early Wednesday morning. Southerly winds early this afternoon will turn more east southeast for ORD/MDW over the next 1-2 hours and northeast this hour for GYY. Still think speeds will be at/above 10 KT with lake breeze passage this afternoon. Rodriguez && .MARINE... 255 PM CDT High pressure will continue to prevail over the southern part of the lake through Wednesday before southerly winds expand over the entire lake during the day Thursday. Organized gusty storms may track over the northern or central part of the lake late Thursday Night. This will be ahead of a cold front that will ease its way across the lake Friday turning winds northerly in its wake. These winds will be persistent into early next week but not particularly high in speed, so Small Craft Advisory waves or winds are not presently expected along the Illinois and Indiana shores. MTF && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && VISIT US AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (ALL LOWERCASE) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSCHICAGO WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSCHICAGO WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSCHICAGO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 334 PM CDT TUE AUG 9 2016 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019- 102045- WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE ILLINOIS-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE- DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON- IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE INDIANA-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON- 334 PM CDT TUE AUG 9 2016 /434 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS... NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WEDNESDAY... LIMITED THUNDERSTORM RISK. THURSDAY... LIMITED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK. LIMITED EXCESSIVE HEAT RISK. FRIDAY... ELEVATED THUNDERSTORM RISK. LIMITED EXCESSIVE HEAT RISK. SATURDAY... LIMITED THUNDERSTORM RISK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY THROUGH TONIGHT. && LMZ740>745-102045- WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR- WILMETTE HARBOR TO NORTHERLY ISLAND- NORTHERLY ISLAND TO CALUMET HARBOR-CALUMET HARBOR TO GARY- GARY TO BURNS HARBOR-BURNS HARBOR TO MICHIGAN CITY- 334 PM CDT TUE AUG 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. && LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868- 870-872-874-876-878-102045- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MICHIGAN CITY IN TO ST. JOSEPH MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO THE MACKINAC BRIDGE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLEVOIX MI TO SOUTH FOX ISLAND 5 NM OFFSHORE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM CHARLEVOIX TO POINT BETSIE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM POINT BETSIE TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE TO STURGEON BAY WI- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM STURGEON BAY TO TWO RIVERS WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM TWO RIVERS TO SHEBOYGAN WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR IL 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WILMETTE HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ST. JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE- 334 PM CDT TUE AUG 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF ONE OR TWO PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE LAKE DURING THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH DURING THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. && MTF VISIT US AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (ALL LOWERCASE) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSCHICAGO WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSCHICAGO WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSCHICAGO
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:47 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
FAA contract observer for Midway Airport spotted a landspout tornado that formed on the lake breeze.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2016Warnings in Illinois, August 2016
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: 659015.