A slow-moving cold front crossing the Mississippi River triggered scattered thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening of May 28th. one in Peoria County and two in Moultrie County.
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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 slow-moving cold front crossing the Mississippi River triggered scattered thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening of May 28th. The storms produced 3 landspout tornadoes...one in Peoria County and two in Moultrie County. In addition, other thunderstorm cells dropped 3 to 4 inches of rain in about an hour, causing significant flash flooding across western Marshall County.
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 28, 2:31 PM CST, 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 331 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 330 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 A cold front will move across the region this evening, exiting the state during the overnight hours. Showers and storms have developed along this boundary and will spread across the region this evening and overnight; then exit the state late Friday morning. Cooler air will filter in behind the front for the end of the week and through the weekend. High pressure will also build in behind the front for the weekend, bringing more spring- like conditions to the Midwest. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 Showers and storms have developed along a frontal system across west central Illinois and will slowly move across the area this evening. Other scattered showers and storms have developed across eastern Illinois as well and are moving northeast across the area. The frontal boundary will slowly move east this evening across most of the area and then overnight across eastern IL. Hi Res convective models indicated that after sunset with the loss of heating/instability, the precip will become more scattered in nature, even in areas where there is a wider coverage...across west central IL. But forcing along this boundary is weak, even as it moves slowly east through the night. So will start with some higher pops but as the night progresses, have slowly reduced pops to more chance pops than likely...though will keep likely pops along the frontal boundary as it moves east. Due to the general diminishing of coverage this evening after sunset, do not think any type of flood watch is warranted; however, some stronger storms, or training storms, could produce brief heavy rain. Once the front moves through tomorrow morning, dry weather will build in and cooler weather will move into the region. && .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday) ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 Overall pattern through the extended period is one of a building ridge out west and northwest flow across the midwest. This typically means dry weather with any storms systems moving across the northern plains and through the Great Lakes region. So, most of the area will be dry through the weekend and into next week with small chances of precip in the far north parts of the CWA. The ridge might begin to flatten some mid week so chance of shower and storms could return to the whole CWA for Wed through Thursday. Cooler temps are expected through the weekend and into next week. However, warmer temps begin to build back into the area Tue with mid to upper 80s possible Tue through Thur. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon) Issued at 1254 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 VFR conditions will start each site this afternoon, but convection has already developed south of DEC and CMI near 1h2 and will be moving north early this afternoon. Since unsure if storms will actually be within 5sm of the site, will have VCTS for both sites this afternoon for several hours. As the boundary moves into the area later this afternoon through this evening, clouds will lower to below 2kft and showers will occur...off and on. Will also include vcts for each of the sites later this afternoon and evening as storms should be isolated then. Since front is moving slowly and short range models have precip becoming more scattered, will switch all sites to VCSH this evening...PIA first, then CMI last. Precip will end at all sites overnight, but MVFR cigs around 2kft will continue into the morning hours. As front moves in and through the area, winds will become westerly then northeasterly. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...Auten SHORT TERM...Auten LONG TERM...Auten AVIATION...Auten
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 304 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047-049-050-291100- Cass-Fulton-Knox-Marshall-Mason-Morgan-Peoria-Schuyler-Scott- Stark-Tazewell-Woodford- 304 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... Major flooding will continue on the Illinois River near Havana, as well as downstream from Beardstown. Moderate flooding will persist along the remainder of the river. Scattered thunderstorms will occur through tonight. Severe weather is not expected, however locally heavy downpours and gusty winds will be possible with the stronger storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Moderate to major flooding will continue along the Illinois River through the entire period. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ038-042>046-048-051>057-061>063-066-067-071-072-291100- Champaign-Christian-Clark-Clay-Coles-Cumberland-De Witt-Douglas- Edgar-Effingham-Jasper-Logan-Macon-McLean-Menard-Moultrie-Piatt- Richland-Sangamon-Shelby-Vermilion- 304 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois, east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... Scattered thunderstorms will occur through tonight. Severe weather is not expected, however locally heavy downpours and gusty winds will be possible with the stronger storms. .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. ILZ068-073-291100- Crawford-Lawrence- 304 PM CDT Thu May 28 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... Scattered thunderstorms will occur through tonight. Severe weather is not expected, however locally heavy downpours and gusty winds will be possible with the stronger storms. Lingering flooding on the Wabash River will diminish through late tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Isolated thunderstorms will linger into Friday morning. These are not expected to be severe. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. Barnes
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:12 UTC.
3 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A landspout tornado touched down in an open field 5 miles north-northeast of Dunlap at 4:10 PM CDT. The tornado tracked northeastward and dissipated 1.1 miles east-northeast of Edelstein at 4:15 PM CDT. No damage was observed.
Several 4-inch diameter tree branches were broken off.
Thenius Creek spilled out of its banks and flooded the intersection of Rt 29 and Thenius Road just north of Sparland. In addition, water flowed out of the surrounding fields across 1400 North and 950 East and Whitefield Road was washed out 1 mile east of Yankee Lane.
A landspout tornado briefly touched down in an open field 2.7 miles north-northeast of Bethany at 7:25 PM CDT. The tornado tracked eastward and quickly dissipated one minute later. No damage was observed.
A landspout tornado briefly touched down near the Okaw River Bridge on Route 32 about 2 miles northwest of Lovington at 7:34 PM CDT. The tornado tracked eastward and quickly dissipated one minute later. No damage was observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2020Warnings in Illinois, May 2020
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: 891348, 891351, 891347, 891349, 891350.