Severe Drought (D2) persisted across west-central Illinois through the first week of August before additional rainfall eased the dry conditions. No significant agricultural impacts or water restrictions were noted.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
Severe Drought (D2) persisted across west-central Illinois through the first week of August before additional rainfall eased the dry conditions. No significant agricultural impacts or water restrictions were noted.
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 Jul 31, 10:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1150 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 1149 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 Partly cloudy skies will prevail across central and southeast Illinois tonight and Tuesday. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible southwest of a Macomb to Springfield line, with dry conditions expected elsewhere. Low temperatures tonight will drop into the lower to middle 60s, while highs on Tuesday top out in the middle to upper 80s. && .UPDATE... Issued at 809 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 High pressure is centered over Michigan this evening and will continue to result in fair weather across central Illinois overnight. A few showers over north central Illinois should fade away with sunset, and showers along the Mississippi River will are expected to stay mainly in Missouri or at least near the River. Temperatures are on track to fall into the lower to mid 60s overnight. Deubelbeiss && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight and Tuesday) Issued at 312 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 19z/2pm surface analysis shows a stationary frontal boundary extending from Kansas southeastward to northern Alabama...while high pressure remains anchored over the Great Lakes. An area of showers with a few embedded thunderstorms continues to track along/north of the boundary from central Missouri into far southern Illinois. This precip will remain W/SW of the KILX CWA for the balance of the afternoon/evening. Models have consistently shown additional convection forming north of the boundary overnight as the nocturnal low-level jet energizes: however, 12z CAM consensus has shifted the track of the storms further SW. As a result, think central Illinois will be largely missed tonight into Tuesday. Have included low chance PoPs southwest of a Macomb to Springfield line in case a few showers stray that far northeastward, but think most locations will remain dry. Lows tonight will range from around 60 degrees near the Indiana border to the middle 60s in the Illinois River Valley. Highs on Tuesday will top out in the middle to upper 80s. Barnes .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Next Monday) Issued at 312 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 Prominent upper ridge centered over the southern Plains will edge eastward over the next couple of days: however, its progress will be suppressed by a deep low over Quebec. As a result, the main storm track will shift into parts of central Illinois by mid-week. While synoptic models such as the GFS are bullish with bringing nocturnal convection into the area Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, CAMs such as the HRRR and WRF-ARW tend to keep the activity a bit further W/SW over Missouri into far western Illinois. Given clear trend, have confined PoPs to locations southwest of a Peoria to Mattoon line Tuesday night. A short-wave trough embedded within the broad northwesterly flow pattern will track through Illinois on Wednesday...triggering scattered showers and thunderstorms across the board...particularly during the afternoon and evening. As the wave departs, convection will get pushed southward on Thursday, mainly focused along/south of I-70. After that, largely dry weather will be on tap for Friday and Saturday before another short-wave potentially increases convective coverage by Sunday/Monday. Bottom line this week: Temperatures will remain near normal for this time of year with no oppressive heat/humidity on the horizon. Rainfall will be greatest along/southwest of a Macomb...to Springfield...to Effingham line where over 1 inch will be likely. Further northeast, very little rainfall is expected along the I-74 corridor. Barnes && .AVIATION... (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Tuesday Night) Issued at 1149 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 High pressure will remain centered over the Great Lakes through the period. Winds will be out of the southeast, picking up to around 10 kt and veering slightly during the daytime hours. VFR conditions will prevail through the period. Deubelbeiss && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 300 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 ILZ040-047>052-012000- Schuyler-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon-Christian- 300 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A few thunderstorms are possible late tonight. Severe weather is not expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Nighttime clusters of thunderstorms will track southeast into the region both Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Storms will linger into the first part of each day. The severe weather threat is uncertain right now, but locally heavy rain is a concern. Heat index values near 100 degrees are likely by Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight. ILZ027>031-036>038-041>046-053>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-012000- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Mason- Logan-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles- Edgar-Shelby-Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay- Richland-Lawrence- 300 PM CDT Mon Jul 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. The best chances for thunderstorms this week are Wednesday and Wednesday night. Severe weather is not expected at this time. Heat index values near 100 degrees are likely by Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight. Erwin
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across Cass County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across the southern half of Fulton County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across Logan County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across Mason County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across Menard County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions lingered across Schuyler County into the first week of August. Agricultural stress was common.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2023
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: 1130602, 1130603, 1130604, 1130605, 1130606, 1130607.