Illinois, 2018

Strong Wind in Illinois, October 20, 2018

October 20, 2018 · NWS PAH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

As cold Canadian high pressure built southeast behind a cold front, northwest winds became strong and gusty. In the Wabash Valley counties, north to northwest winds gusted to around 40 mph for several hours during the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

As cold Canadian high pressure built southeast behind a cold front, northwest winds became strong and gusty. In the Wabash Valley counties, north to northwest winds gusted to around 40 mph for several hours during the evening. The peak wind gust at the Carmi airport was 41 mph.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 20, 12:57 PM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 20, 12:57 PM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 20, 2:11 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, White

When
October 20, 4:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
White forecast zone
Measured
36 kt (41 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Wabash

When
October 20, 4:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Wabash forecast zone
Measured
36 kt (41 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Edwards

When
October 20, 4:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Measured
36 kt (41 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, October 2018

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 787705, 787706, 787707.