Isolated thunderstorms developed in the Wabash Valley region during the warmest part of the afternoon. The storms occurred in a broad area of deep southwest flow with its associated increase in moisture.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
Isolated thunderstorms developed in the Wabash Valley region during the warmest part of the afternoon. The storms occurred in a broad area of deep southwest flow with its associated increase in moisture. A weak 500 mb shortwave trough lifted northeast toward the region, providing support for the storms.
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 May 25, 3:28 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 428 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021 .UPDATE... Issued at 420 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021 Updated Aviation discussion for 00Z TAF Issuance. && .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 307 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021 An approaching upper level wave and weak surface cold front, which have produced a isolated showers across our area today, will move across the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys tonight. This will increase our chances of showers and some thunderstorms. The best chances will be across southeast Missouri and southern Illinois this evening, with high chance to likely pops across our entire region by late tonight through midday Wednesday. By late Wednesday, the upper wave will move east of the PAH forecast area, but the weak cold front will continue sinking south. This will continue chances of showers and some thunderstorms into the evening for our southern half of counties. The front will sink far enough south that our overnight hours will be dry. The dry conditions will be brief as models show a stronger cold front and deeper upper level wave approaching from the west/northwest. Chances of showers and thunderstorms will quickly increase from west to east Thursday, with our best chances Thursday night into Friday morning with the passage of the cold front. With plenty of moisture and instability ahead of the cold front, severe storms are possible, especially along and west of the Mississippi. Based on current timing of the front, it looks like our best chances will be Thursday evening into the early overnight hours, but this may need some adjustments as we get closer to the event. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021 Showers and storms will gradually taper off from west to east on Friday as the cold front continue to push off to our east. Behind the front, high pressure will build in, giving us dry conditions and cooler than normal temperatures for the weekend. Our coolest time period will be Saturday and Saturday night, with highs Saturday around 10 degrees below normal, and lows Saturday night around 8 degrees below normal. Temperatures will rebound back to normal values by Monday. Confidence decreases for early next week with varying model solutions. Models indicate an approaching upper wave, but there is quite a bit of question in timing. For now we went with slight chances for showers and storms on Monday, with better chances on Tuesday. At least Memorial Day does not look like wash out at this point. && .AVIATION... Issued at 420 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021 With high pressure finally shifted east, a weak disturbance's approach and passage will bring deteriorating conditions later tonight-tmrw. VFR bases will lower and thicken with time, and restricted CIGS become prevalant late tonight as shower and storm chances pick up. They'll also bring a chance for MVFR VSBYS at times, into tmrw morning. Lingering vicinity showers and MVFR cigs will ultimately scatter out in the afternoon, after the passage of the disturbance. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 330 AM CDT Tue May 25 2021 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-261000- 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- 330 AM CDT Tue May 25 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight An isolated thunderstorm or two is possible this afternoon. There is a better chance of thunderstorms tonight, especially after midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday The chance of thunderstorms will continue into Wednesday, then chances diminish Wednesday night. Thursday into Thursday night, there is a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms. The best chance area appears to be southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and far west Kentucky. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed Thursday into Thursday night.
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 42 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:52 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A healthy tree was downed across Highway 130.
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, May 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: 951786.