Strong northwesterly winds developed in the wake of a departing cold front during the afternoon of October 20th. The winds were enhanced as a powerful low-level jet streak mixed to the surface during peak heating, creating widespread gusts in excess of 45mph.
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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.
Strong northwesterly winds developed in the wake of a departing cold front during the afternoon of October 20th. The winds were enhanced as a powerful low-level jet streak mixed to the surface during peak heating, creating widespread gusts in excess of 45mph. A few locations reported even higher gusts, with the Coles County Memorial Airport coming in at 58mph and the University of Illinois Willard Airport logging a peak gust of 59mph. Due to the high winds, scattered wind damage occurred across the 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 Oct 20, 11:47 AM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1247 PM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 1001 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 Made a quick update to the forecast this morning to increase wind speeds this afternoon and issue a Wind Advisory from noon through 6pm. 12z NAM shows a 50-55mph 925mb jet streak across northern/eastern Iowa this morning. Surface wind gusts beneath this feature have already reached 35-40mph...and as the jet shifts over central Illinois during peak heating, am expecting even higher momentum air to mix to the surface. Based on numeric guidance and latest forecast soundings, think sustained winds will reach 25-35mph with gusts in the 40-45mph range. The jet will shift into Indiana by late afternoon, then as the atmosphere decouples, winds will quickly decrease to less than 10mph after sunset. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 345 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 A vigorous northern stream short wave over western Ontario and into the upper MS river valley early this morning, will dive into ne IL by early afternoon, and into the northern Ohio river valley by late afternoon. Brunt of it rain showers this afternoon will be ne of central IL, though did carry isolated showers over far ne CWA for a couple hours during mid afternoon with some stratocumulus clouds especially from I-74 ne this afternoon. Big story today will be increasing nw winds, with wind gusts of 35-45 mph this afternoon, strongest in northern/ne CWA during early and mid afternoon. Looking a bufkit soundings, it appears most of our area will stay just shy of wind advisory criteria (sustained 30 mph or higher/ gusts of 45 mph or higher) but a few sites could briefly reach near this criteria for a few hours from 17-21Z. Issued a special weather statement to address these gusty winds from midday until supper time. Highs today range from lower 50s from Peoria north, to the lower 60s in southeast IL, with temps slipping during mid and late afternoon with increasing cold air advection. 1031 mb Canadian high pressure over Saskatchewan and eastern MT will settle into MO/IL by dawn Sunday with diminishing winds and clear skies during Sat night. This will likely bring a hard freeze to much of central and southeast IL with lows in the mid to upper 20s. Issued a freeze warning for southern 6 counties (Effingham, Jasper, Crawford, Clay, Richland and Lawrence) from 2-9 am cdt Sunday with lows in the upper 20s. Southeast IL has escaped the killing freeze that affected central IL this past Monday and Wed nights. .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) ISSUED AT 345 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 A sunny, cool fall day in store on Sunday over IL with lighter sw winds 5-15 mph, as high pressure drifts into KY/TN by sunset Sunday. Cool highs Sunday in the lower 50s across CWA, with areas from I-74 around 50F. Lows Mon night in the mid to upper 30s, coolest in southeast IL closer to retreating high pressure ridge moving into mid Atlantic States by dawn Mon, where frost likely overnight Mon night. The 00Z Oct 20 forecast models were in good agreement during the upcoming work week over the area, and the blended forecast was generally accepted. Generally dry and below normal temperatures are expected during the week. A weak cold front pushes se over central IL late Mon afternoon and Mon night, and passes thru dry with temps cooling a bit on Tue over central IL. The GFS, ECMWF and GEM models are generally dry over CWA Sunday through Thursday evening. Then these models show a weakening disturbance tracking eastward into central IL on Fri with some light qpf over part of the CWA. Blended forecast kept CWA dry on Fri but confidence is low on this day as there is a trof moving into the area overnight Thu night into Friday. Highs of 60-65F on Monday, then cooling into the 50s Wed- Fri with Thu being the coolest day in the low to mid 50s. Lows generally in the mid 30s to lower 40s, with coolest lows Tue night in the mid 30s. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1246 PM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 Area VAD wind profiler data is showing 45-50mph 925mb winds across central/northern Illinois. With nocturnal inversion now eroded, this high momentum air is efficiently mixing to the surface...producing observed wind gusts of 35-45mph. Based on HRRR wind forecast, these gusts will persist through mid-afternoon before gradually subsiding from west to east late this afternoon into the early evening. Have ended gusts at KPIA by 01z, then further east to KCMI by 02z. Once the atmosphere decouples after sunset, winds will rapidly decrease to 5-8kt from late evening through the overnight hours. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Freeze Warning from 2 AM to 9 AM CDT Sunday for ILZ066>068- 071>073. Wind Advisory until 6 PM CDT this evening for ILZ027>031-036>038- 040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. && UPDATE...Barnes SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM...07 AVIATION...Barnes
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1106 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-211100- Cass-Champaign-Christian-Clark-Coles-Cumberland-De Witt-Douglas- Edgar-Fulton-Knox-Logan-Macon-Marshall-Mason-McLean-Menard-Morgan- Moultrie-Peoria-Piatt-Sangamon-Schuyler-Scott-Shelby-Stark- Tazewell-Vermilion-Woodford- 1106 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Northwest winds gust up to 45 mph at times this afternoon, causing difficult travel for high profile vehicles. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. ILZ066>068-071>073-211100- Clay-Crawford-Effingham-Jasper-Lawrence-Richland- 1106 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM CDT SUNDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Northwest winds will gust up to 40 mph at times this afternoon, causing difficult travel for high profile vehicles. A hard freeze is expected late tonight. Temperatures will fall into the mid to upper 20s, ending the growing season. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. Geelhart
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1243 PM CDT SAT OCT 20 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1150 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NNE PLEASANT HILL 40.63N 88.73W
10/20/2018 M46 MPH MCLEAN IL MESONET
APRS MESONET
1215 PM NON-TSTM WND GST JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL 39.77N 90.24W
10/20/2018 M46 MPH MORGAN IL AWOS
&&
GEELHARTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
100 PM CDT SAT OCT 20 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1249 PM NON-TSTM WND GST WILLARD AIRPORT 40.04N 88.28W
10/20/2018 M53 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL ASOS
1220 PM NON-TSTM WND GST PEORIA INTERNATIONAL AI 40.67N 89.68W
10/20/2018 M49 MPH PEORIA IL ASOS
1211 PM NON-TSTM WND GST CAPITAL AIRPORT 39.84N 89.68W
10/20/2018 M46 MPH SANGAMON IL ASOS
1235 PM NON-TSTM WND GST COLES COUNTY AIRPORT 39.48N 88.28W
10/20/2018 M45 MPH COLES IL ASOS
&&
GEELHARTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A power pole was blown onto a house on Route 48 near DeWitt.
A gas station awning was blown over near the intersection of I-57/I-70 and U.S. 45.
Power poles were blown over along Richland Road in Pleasant Plains.
A power pole was blown onto Chicago Street in the town of DeWitt.
Several large tree branches were blown down on Sterling Avenue in Peoria.
A 20-inch diameter tree was blown across a road on the west side of Paris.
A few power lines were blown down in Wapella.
Several 2-inch diameter tree branches were blown down in Sherman.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, October 2018
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: 784414, 784397, 784400, 784416, 784422, 784403, 784405, 784406, 784408, 784423.