A cold front triggered scattered thunderstorms across central Illinois on May 31st. A few of the storms produced wind gusts of around 60 mph and hail as large as pennies.
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 ILX wrote it up.
A cold front triggered scattered thunderstorms across central Illinois on May 31st. A few of the storms produced wind gusts of around 60 mph and hail as large as pennies. In addition, one cluster of thunderstorms dropped over 2 inches of rain in just 45 minutes in the city of Champaign. Several roads and viaducts were flooded as a result of the excessive rainfall.
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 31, 8:49 AM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 949 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016 .UPDATE... Issued at 948 AM CDT Tue May 31 2016 Remnants of the Missouri MCV located between Springfield and St. Louis late this morning per water vapor imagery. Cluster of showers and scattered thunderstorms accompanying it, with some heavier rains in southeast Morgan County. Earlier storms further north have produced 1/2 to 1 inch of rain in parts of Woodford and Marshall Counties. Latest HRRR has been trending to fill in these two areas with time during the late morning, with some breaks in the afternoon across the western CWA until convection starts to increase ahead of the cold front. Have made some updates to the hourly PoP's to account for the HRRR trends, although the overall values did not change too much. Temperatures are going to be rather tricky today with the convection. 9:30 am observation from Litchfield, under the MCV/storm cluster, showed temperatures had dropped down to 64 degrees, but some lower 80s are already showing up in the far eastern CWA, especially south of I-70 where skies have been partly to mostly sunny. Updated the hourly temperatures and incorporated the HRRR trends, which shows some decrease for the first couple hours once the rain starts, then a late rebound across the western CWA. Areas near the Indiana border least likely to be affected, and kept afternoon temperatures generally in the 85-87 degree range. Updated zones/grids have been sent. && .SHORT TERM...(Today) ISSUED AT 328 AM CDT Tue May 31 2016 Remnant MCV over south central Missouri will migrate slowly northeast today and bring our area more cloud cover than what we saw yesterday along with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Already seeing some isolated convection developing just to our north with radar mosaics to our south indicating an area of mostly showers moving northeast out of Missouri. Forecast soundings today very similar to what we saw yesterday with 0-6km shear not much more than 20 kts with mixed layer capes up to 1500 j/kg and poor 700-500 mb lapse rates. The wind profile today once again looking more like the middle of July, as the steering flow will be around 10 kts, suggesting any storm that does develop will be slow moving and capable of producing heavy rainfall in a short period of time, but very localized in nature. Temperatures may be a degree or two cooler than what we saw yesterday with the increase in cloud cover, but forecast soundings indicate that if we experience any significant breaks in the clouds today, the temperature will have little problem getting into at least the mid 80s. .LONG TERM...(Tonight through Monday) ISSUED AT 328 AM CDT Tue May 31 2016 Still a bit of a summery pattern and warm for the first part of the week. Showers/thunderstorm chances increasing with proximity to approaching boundary from the west as another low digs in over the Northern Plains and drags a front through the Midwest. Models have been increasingly consistent with handling the boundary...but the precip timing with the smaller showers out ahead of the system tonight remains a bit loose. Considering current situation is not necessarily handled well, this evening will be influenced by mesoscale features, but have left pops highest in the west with the approach of the sfc trof. Temperatures remain warm through the forecast. A few degrees cooler behind the boundary, but not by much and not for long...as southerly flow at the sfc reestablishes and sets up WAA briefly going into next weekend. That being said, Wed high temperatures are going to be partially dependent on breaks in the clouds and how quickly they can climb before rain dominates the region. Plenty of warm air lending itself to moderately unstable air to work with the thunderstorms on Wed/Wed night...but weak flow pattern aloft will limit the shear available for severe weather development. On the other side of the boundary...warm air remains...and a loose height gradient and weak flow aloft until the next low digs in over the Northern Rockies. The surface low developing over the Upper Midwest and into the Great Lakes moving across the country in concert with another surface low developing over the Gulf Coast. The upper trof and surface feature dragging through the region alerting a pattern shift and models will likely remain split between filling in with precip across ILX... or putting Central Illinois between the two more favored regions for precip. Most of Thursday and Friday remain dry in the forecast until that system encroaches on the region and pops begin to increase through the weekend. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) Issued at 550 AM CDT Tue May 31 2016 Forecast concern this period will be coverage of TSRA as a weak weather disturbance moves into our area from Missouri later today. Mainly VFR cigs over the forecast area early this morning with isolated showers and thunderstorms along and north of I74 with another band of showers pushing into southwest Illinois. Coverage today will be similar to what we saw yesterday although with the upper level disturbance pushing through during peak heating, we may see better coverage this afternoon but it still appears VCTS will cover this synoptic setup for today. It appears that we will see a temporary decrease in coverage this evening before a cold front starts to approach the area from the west late tonight bringing a better chance for TSRA to at least PIA and SPI after 06z. Surface winds will not be much of a factor today, unless a thunderstorm affects a TAF site, otherwise look for a southeast to south wind to prevail today with speeds of 10 kts or less. Winds should back more into a southeast direction tonight with speeds of around 5 kts or less. && .ILX Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NONE. && UPDATE...Geelhart SHORT TERM...Smith LONG TERM...HJS AVIATION...Smith
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 508 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>053-011100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 508 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...THOUGH A FEW STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY BRINGING A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER...A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE NEXT WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044>046-054>057-061-011100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SHELBY-VERMILION- 508 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TODAY INTO THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY FROM I-57 WEST. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THOUGH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY BRINGING A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER...A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE NEXT WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-011100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 508 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...ALTHOUGH A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH ACROSS THE AREA LATER WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRINGING A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. INSTABILITY WILL BE MARGINAL AND WIND SHEAR WILL BE QUITE WEAK...THEREFORE ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE NEXT WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. SMITH
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:21 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree branch was blown down in Enos Park.
Numerous roads and viaducts in the cities of Champaign and Urbana were closed due to heavy rain. Observers reported more than 2.00 inches of rain in less than 45 minutes, resulting in the rapid onset of flash flooding. The flooded roads were reopened by late evening.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 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: 637289, 637288, 639208.