Strong south winds gusted up to 45 mph at times. The peak measured wind gust in southern Illinois was 45 mph at the Carbondale airport.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 PAH wrote it up.
Strong south winds gusted up to 45 mph at times. The peak measured wind gust in southern Illinois was 45 mph at the Carbondale airport. The strong south winds were observed mainly across the Mississippi and Wabash Valleys. The winds increased as the pressure gradient tightened across the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys ahead of an approaching cold front.
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 Dec 24, 7:25 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 725 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 .UPDATE... Issued at 720 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 For aviation section only. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Sunday night) Issued at 345 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 The main weather stories in the short term lie with gusty southerly winds 30-40 mph today/tonight and then with the possible record warmth on Christmas Day. Today, we will be sandwiched between surface high pressure over the Southeast Coast and a trof of low pressure sitting out over the Plains. The strong pressure gradient between these systems will lead to gusty southerly winds today, tonight and even into Christmas morning. Profile soundings suggest winds in the 1-2 kft layer (within the mixing layer beneath the expected cloud deck) of 40-45 kts. This is likely to translate to 30-40 mph surface gusts, just below wind advisory criteria of gusts over 40 mph. Will handle with a Special Weather Statement for now. The southerly winds will help boost temperatures into the mid and upper 60s this afternoon, despite the expected extensive cloud cover. In fact, readings will likely hold nearly steady tonight in the 60s. A weak cold front will approach and sag slowly into the region on Christmas Day. Little if any precip is anticipated to accompany the front due to a lack of forcing and overall moisture. Southwesterly to westerly winds could push temps to record or near record levels, especially if we get sunny breaks during the afternoon as suggested by some of the model guidance. Most locations should top out from near 70 to the mid 70s, some 25 degrees above normal for Christmas Day. High pressure will make a brief appearance Sunday behind the front. Though it should not be as warm as Christmas, high temps Sunday will still be well above normal, from near 60 to the mid 60s. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Thursday) Issued at 345 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 An upper-level ridge will be positioned over the Ohio River Valley on Monday. Surface low pressure progression eastward just north of the Quad State will keep lower end rain probabilities in the forecast Monday, mainly for the Evansville Tri-State and Kentucky Pennyrile. Highs will be in the 60s, but with a brief loss of southerly flows overnight as the cold front drops southward, lows will drop to the 40s north of the Ohio River. On Tuesday, the next disturbance forms east of the Rockies, and the front reverses to a warm front and starts shifting northward, bringing a return to southerly winds. This system will be much more organized, bringing in plenty of Gulf moisture and increasing rain chances Tuesday and Wednesday. QPF has nudged up to half to one inch for Tuesday to Wednesday night. Highs will continue to be in the 60s with Tuesday night lows in the 50s, though cooler temperatures are possible in the north if the front doesn't quite make it north of the Quad State. The front will eventually move through as a cold front, with late Wednesday to Wednesday night the most likely timing, though each ensemble has a decent portion of members that hold off cold frontal passage until Thursday. Once the front does move through, rain chances decrease and temperatures are expected to drop to near average. && .AVIATION... Issued at 720 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 Low pressure moving northwest of the region will help strengthen winds today, tonight and Christmas morning. Winds will be southerly around 15 knots, with gusts of 25 to 30 knots at times. MVFR cigs 1-3 kft will be prevalent. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && UPDATE...GM SHORT TERM...GM LONG TERM...ATL AVIATION...GM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 359 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-251100- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope- Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh- Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves- Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell- Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean- Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter- Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid- 359 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight South to southwest winds today and tonight are expected to gust from 30 to 40 mph at many locations. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service PADUCAH KY 414 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-242200- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope- Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh- Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves- Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell- Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean- Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter- Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid- Including the cities of Mount Vernon, Fairfield, Albion, Mount Carmel, Pinckneyville, West Frankfort, McLeansboro, Carmi, Carbondale, Murphysboro, Herrin, Harrisburg, Shawneetown, Jonesboro, Vienna, Golconda, Elizabethtown, Cairo, Mound City, Metropolis, Fort Branch, Petersburg, Poseyville, Evansville, Boonville, Rockport, Hickman, Clinton, Bardwell, Wickliffe, Paducah, Mayfield, Smithland, Benton, Murray, Marion, Eddyville, Cadiz, Princeton, Morganfield, Dixon, Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Henderson, Owensboro, Calhoun, Greenville, Elkton, Perryville, Marble Hill, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Piedmont, Van Buren, Doniphan, Poplar Bluff, Bloomfield, Sikeston, Charleston, and New Madrid 414 AM CST Fri Dec 24 2021 ...Gusty Southerly Winds Today into Christmas... Strong southerly winds are expected today, tonight and Christmas morning. The south to southwest winds are expected to gust from 30 to 40 mph at times. Be sure to secure loose outdoor items such as lawn furniture and holiday decorations. Also, motorists should use caution, especially those driving a high profile vehicle on east- west oriented roadways.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2021
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: 996375, 996376, 996377, 996380, 996381.