A deep area of low pressure tracking from eastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin produced very strong gradient winds across central and southeast Illinois on March 14th. As higher momentum air associated with a powerful low-level jet streak mixed to the surface, winds gusted as high as 60-65mph along and south of a Taylorville to Danville line where a High Wind Warning was in effect.
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.
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 deep area of low pressure tracking from eastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin produced very strong gradient winds across central and southeast Illinois on March 14th. As higher momentum air associated with a powerful low-level jet streak mixed to the surface, winds gusted as high as 60-65mph along and south of a Taylorville to Danville line where a High Wind Warning was in effect. Peak measured wind gusts included 67mph at the Lawrenceville Airport, 61mph at Capital Airport in Springfield, and 59mph at the Decatur Airport. Scattered wind damage was reported.
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 Mar 14, 5:24 AM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 624 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 403 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 Very windy day expected in Central IL today. Wind advisory criteria will be issued for a big portion of the Midwest as the deep storm system from the Rockies moves eastward into the region. A portion of Central and southwestern IL will have a chance for damaging winds gusting in excess of 58 mph from midday into the afternoon, and will be under a High Wind Warning. Other than an increasing pressure gradient, both the HRRR and the RAP have 850mb winds in the 50-60kt range. NAM soundings in BUFKit show those 50-60kt winds throughout the warned area from 2500-5000ft without any inversion to speak of from noon to 4pm roughly. Guidance with the strong southwesterly winds has been running a little low as well. With the temperatures rising sooner and higher, the potential to erode any inversion will just be earlier. Deep mixing has been trending in the forecast, with or without the assist of showers pulling down the winds. Just too close to warning criteria to not go ahead and upgrade from the previous watch. Those winds and warmer temps will set up a potential for thunderstorms this afternoon. That deep convection will only increase the threat for damaging winds, should one develop. But the window of convective potential is relatively narrow this afternoon. The threat in the day one outlook has dropped to marginal btwn I-57 and the Indiana border. Tonight, the weather should dry out, and remain breezy but less so through the overnight. The overnight lows will drop into the 30s with the colder air of the occluded low moves into the region, though the winds will be slower to take on a northwesterly component by early Friday morning. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) ISSUED AT 339 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 Beyond Thursday night, there is a brief chance for a rain/snow mix Friday morning with some moisture wrapping around the low, though no accumulations are anticipated. Then the forecast gets much quieter, with high pressure building into the Plains and the Midwest. CPC Outlooks seem to be in agreement with higher probabilities of drier and warmer than normal. Temps are slow to respond into the extended...still a couple degrees below seasonal normals through the weekend. However, the temps remain in a slow warming trend into midweek. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 620 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 Not much of a shift in the forecast. Wind major concern, with some LLWS early before the winds increase at the sfc. Eventually, the SSW winds at the surface will be sustained and gusting high enough to eliminate LLWS per se... but very high winds gusting between 40 and 55kts will be possible with this strong system. Shower/TS threat in the east will continue through the afternoon early evening. Cigs range from 700 ft to clear and change quickly with this deep, fast moving low. Overnight, winds will weaken and see some clouds wrapping around the system and maintaining low MVFR/IFR conditions. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 10 PM CDT this evening for ILZ044>046- 052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. Wind Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for ILZ027>031- 036>038-040>043-047>051. && SHORT TERM...HJS LONG TERM...HJS AVIATION...HJS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ILZ027>031-037-151100- Knox-Marshall-Peoria-Stark-Tazewell-Woodford- 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... Southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 40 and 50 mph through sunset. These strong winds will cause travel difficulties, especially for high profile vehicles. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Minor flooding is expected to develop along the Illinois River near Peoria this weekend. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ036-040>042-047>051-151100- Cass-Fulton-Logan-Mason-Menard-Morgan-Sangamon-Schuyler-Scott- 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... Southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 40 and 50 mph through sunset. Winds will be even stronger along and east of Interstate 55. These strong winds will cause travel difficulties, especially for high profile vehicles. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Moderate flooding will continue along the Illinois River from Havana to Beardstown, with minor flooding downstream, for the next several days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ038-043-151100- De Witt-McLean- 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... Southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 40 and 50 mph through sunset. Winds will be even stronger along and east of Interstate 55. These strong winds will cause travel difficulties, especially for high profile vehicles. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ044>046-052>057-061-151100- Champaign-Christian-Coles-Douglas-Edgar-Macon-Moultrie-Piatt- Shelby-Vermilion- 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... Southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 45 and 60 mph through sunset. These strong winds will cause travel difficulties, especially for high profile vehicles. Highest wind gusts will also potentially cause some damage to tree limbs and power lines. Thunderstorms are possible early this afternoon, a few of which may be strong to briefly severe. This is most likely east of I-57. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon, and any wind damage reports would be appreciated. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-151100- Clark-Clay-Crawford-Cumberland-Effingham-Jasper-Lawrence-Richland- 537 AM CDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... Southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 45 and 60 mph through sunset. These strong winds will cause travel difficulties, especially for high profile vehicles. Highest wind gusts will also potentially cause some damage to tree limbs and power lines. Thunderstorms are possible early this afternoon, a few of which may be strong to briefly severe. This is most likely east of I-57. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Minor flooding will occur on portions of the Wabash and Little Wabash Rivers into the weekend. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon, and any wind damage reports would be appreciated. HJS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
801 AM CDT THU MAR 14 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 S MOWEAQUA 39.60N 89.02W
03/14/2019 M1.14 INCH SHELBY IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN PANA 39.39N 89.08W
03/14/2019 M1.10 INCH CHRISTIAN IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
DRHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
806 AM CDT THU MAR 14 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0730 AM HEAVY RAIN BEECHER CITY 39.19N 88.79W
03/14/2019 M1.48 INCH EFFINGHAM IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
DRHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
838 AM CDT THU MAR 14 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SW EFFINGHAM 39.09N 88.59W
03/14/2019 M1.14 INCH EFFINGHAM IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
DRHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were blown down in Washington.
Five power poles were damaged in Flora. One pole snapped, causing minor damage to the County EOC Building.
A power pole was blown down about 1 mile south of Xenia.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, March 2019
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: 814137, 814138, 814139.