A nearly stationary frontal boundary interacting with an unstable airmass triggered widely scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 24th. One storm produced a brief tornado west of Lewistown in Fulton County, while other cells created damaging wind gusts of around 60 mph and hail as large as golf balls.
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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.
A nearly stationary frontal boundary interacting with an unstable airmass triggered widely scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 24th. One storm produced a brief tornado west of Lewistown in Fulton County, while other cells created damaging wind gusts of around 60 mph and hail as large as golf balls.
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 24, 11:50 AM CST, 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1250 PM CDT Fri May 24 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 1053 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 15z/10am surface analysis shows a warm front along the I-74 corridor. To the north of the front, cloud cover and easterly winds have kept temperatures in the 60s. Meanwhile south of the boundary, sunshine and southerly winds have already boosted readings into the upper 70s and lower 80s. The front will lift northward as the day progresses, with afternoon high temperatures reaching the 80s across the entire KILX CWA. Current radar mosaic continues to show clusters of thunderstorms from northeast Missouri to southern Wisconsin. These cells are tracking northeastward and will primarily impact locations northwest of the Illinois River through midday. Once this activity passes to the north, a lull in precip chances will occur early this afternoon before additional cells develop along an old outflow boundary by late afternoon. Given a highly unstable and moderately sheared environment, some of these storms could become severe across the Illinois River Valley from late afternoon into the evening. Have included high chance PoPs across this area accordingly...with dry weather anticipated further E/SE across the remainder of central Illinois. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 325 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 Weak frontal boundary draped across central IL this morning with muggy air and dew points in the upper 50s and 60s in most locations...around 70 in southeastern IL. That meandering warm front should continue to surge northward today, as winds become increasingly southwesterly by the afternoon. Showers and thunderstorm chances will follow that boundary through the early day. Series of disturbances moving through the region in deep southwesterly flow aloft along and above a weak baroclinic zone over the midsection of the country. Pops will remain through the day for the mid Mississippi River Valley and into the overnight. The higher QPF is off to the NW as Central IL is set up to be mainly in the warm sector this afternoon. However, the storm system/convection is modeled to sag to the southeast and into Central IL overnight tonight as the low lifts out over the Plains and into the Upper Midwest. Models have varied quite a bit in how far to the south the stronger convection will get, given its support is in that strong SWrly band between the western trough and the eastern ridging over the CONUS. But given a broad swath of instability in a warm and muggy airmass...much of Central IL is in a Marginal/Slight risk for the overnight hours. Much of the severe threat is contingent on many mesoscale features to the NW and the evolution of afternoon convection outside of Central IL. Not enough confidence in a high QPF forecast for ILX CWA to join in the Flash Flood Watch to the NW that is deeper into a better set up. However, going into the weekend and a continued series of waves bringing several rounds of showers and thunderstorms...that decision may only be delayed. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) ISSUED AT 325 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 Again..active weather pattern continues, with a deep trough over the western half of the country, and a persistent ridging from the Gulf Coast up the eastern seaboard. A series of waves move out of the SW into the region bringing periodic showers and thunderstorms. Eventually, flash flood guidance will start to shrink due to continued precip, and given the recent rains in general, it won't take long. There is a lot of model variation with the details as the differences in how the convection and mesoscale features change...in particular the meandering boundaries impacted by outflow and MCS remnants. Deep southwesterly flow continues, and temperatures through the weekend remain above normal, although there will likely be some hit or miss max/mins due to precip activity and cloud cover. With the active pattern, the forecast through mid week is dominated by precip. BEST chances continue in two places... the weekend, as the next low ejects out of the SW and drags a front through the region. Next likely pops show up Tuesday night as both the ECMWF and the GFS try to clear the western trough and pull a major storm system across the country's midsection. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Saturday afternoon) Issued at 1250 PM CDT Fri May 24 2019 A line of convection has developed across west-central Illinois early this afternoon and is expected to track E/NE across the area over the next couple of hours. Based on radar trends, it appears the thunderstorms will remain north of the I-72 terminals. Have included a TEMPO group for thunder at KPIA between 18z and 20z, but have only mentioned VCTS at KBMI until radar trends become better defined. Once this initial area of convection departs, widely scattered cells may re-develop late this afternoon into the early evening. After that, areal coverage may increase later tonight into Saturday morning as low-level jet energy strengthens. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...Barnes SHORT TERM...HJS LONG TERM...HJS AVIATION...Barnes
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1152 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 ILZ027>031-037-038-251200- Knox-Marshall-McLean-Peoria-Stark-Tazewell-Woodford- 1152 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms across the area this afternoon and into mid evening. The main risks are damaging winds and large hail, with isolated tornadoes also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... There will be additional periodic chances for thunderstorms through Wednesday. The best chances of any severe weather during this time frame will be on Saturday afternoon and evening and again on Tuesday afternoon and evening. However, the repeated storms will increase the risk of flooding. Moderate flooding will continue along the Illinois River through the upcoming week. However, flooding along the Spoon River should subside on Tuesday afternoon and evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and into mid evening. ILZ036-040-041-047-049-050-251200- Cass-Fulton-Mason-Morgan-Schuyler-Scott- 1152 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms this afternoon and evening have the capability of being strong to severe. This is most likely along and north of I-72 where damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... Major flooding will continue along much of the Illinois River through the upcoming week. There will be additional periodic chances for thunderstorms through Wednesday. The best chances of any severe weather during this time frame will be late Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening and again Tuesday afternoon and evening. However, the repeated storms will increase the risk of flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon into mid evening especially along and north of I-72. ILZ042>046-048-051>057-061-251200- Champaign-Christian-Coles-De Witt-Douglas-Edgar-Logan-Macon- Menard-Moultrie-Piatt-Sangamon-Shelby-Vermilion- 1152 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A few strong to possibly severe storms are possible this afternoon and evening, mainly along and north of I-72. The main severe weather threat will be damaging winds and large hail, with isolated tornadoes a risk from I-72 north. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... There will be periodic chances for thunderstorms through Sunday night, then again Tuesday night into Wednesday. The best chances of any severe weather during this time frame will be Tuesday night west of I-55. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed from 3 to 9 pm today especially from I-72 north. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-251200- Clark-Clay-Crawford-Cumberland-Effingham-Jasper-Lawrence-Richland- 1152 AM CDT Fri May 24 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Minor flooding will continue along the Wabash River, and portions of the Little Wabash and Embarras Rivers. Otherwise, no hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... There will be periodic chances for thunderstorms Saturday into Sunday, then again Tuesday night into Wednesday. Some of the storms may be strong. Minor flooding will continue along the Wabash and Little Wabash Rivers into the middle of the new week. However, flooding on the lower Embarras River should subside on Sunday afternoon and subside on the Little Wabash river overnight Tuesday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. 07
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:05 UTC.
9 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Several 1 to 2-foot diameter trees were blown down across Ipava, including one blocking a road on the west side of town.
A tornado touched down between Ipava and Lewistown, moving to the east. A few tree limbs were torn down before the tornado dissipated after tracking for a little more than one mile.
Power poles and power lines were blown down northwest of Green Valley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2019Warnings in Illinois, May 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: 820969, 832909, 820957, 820958, 820970, 820959, 820960, 820961, 820962, 820964, 820966, 820967.