An area of low pressure tracking along a stationary frontal boundary draped along the I-72 corridor triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms from late afternoon of August 25th into the pre-dawn hours of August 26th. Some of the cells produced wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph, which caused scattered wind damage.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An area of low pressure tracking along a stationary frontal boundary draped along the I-72 corridor triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms from late afternoon of August 25th into the pre-dawn hours of August 26th. Some of the cells produced wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph, which caused scattered wind damage.
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 Aug 25, 2:07 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 307 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 307 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 A cold front dropping southward through the region will trigger scattered thunderstorms tonight into Saturday morning. Once the front passes, much cooler and less humid conditions will be observed through next week. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight and Saturday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 19z/2pm analysis shows a band of enhanced Cu developing along a wind-shift line extending from south of Taylorville to near Robinson. Will continue to monitor this area for isolated convection over the next few hours: however, strong mid-level capping will likely inhibit both the areal coverage and severity of any activity. Further W/NW, will be watching for additional scattered development along an old outflow boundary draped across the NW KILX CWA. Despite mixed layer CAPE in excess of 4000J/kg and a slight uptick in deep-layer shear due to a short-wave trough digging into the Great Lakes, very warm temps aloft will continue to prevent widespread thunderstorm development. CAMs have generally been delaying convective initiation...with the HRRR now suggesting around 00z/7pm. With 700mb temps only dropping very slowly from the 12C reading noted on the 12z KILX/KDVN upper air soundings, think the cap will hold firm into the evening. A few of the more vigorous updrafts that develop along the outflow boundary will eventually be able to break the cap...resulting in widely scattered thunderstorms from mid-evening through the overnight hours. A few of the cells will be capable of damaging wind gusts and large hail, although this does not appear to be a widespread severe weather event. A few thunderstorms will linger into Saturday morning along/south of a Rushville...to Decatur...to Paris line before gradually shifting further south as the day goes on. By late afternoon, the effective boundary will slip south of the CWA and a cooler/less humid airmass will trickle into the region. Lows tonight will range from the upper 60s far north around Galesburg and Lacon to the middle 70s south of I-70. Highs on Saturday will be considerable cooler than today...ranging from the lower 80s north of I-72 to the upper 80s far south around Flora and Lawrenceville. Barnes .LONG TERM... (Sunday through Next Friday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 After that, a prolonged period of cool/dry weather is anticipated through the extended as a series of short-wave troughs dig a significant upper trough across the eastern CONUS and the strong upper high retrogrades to the Desert Southwest. High temperatures will drop into the 70s and lower 80s while overnight lows dip into the 50s from Sunday through Friday. Rain chances will be virtually nil, although will need to keep an eye on Tuesday as models show a vigorous wave dropping into northern Indiana that could potentially trigger a few showers. Barnes && .AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Saturday Afternoon) Issued at 1211 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 A cold front / outflow boundary is currently located over central Illinois with NE winds north of the boundary and westerly flow south. Winds in the vicinity of the front are light and variable. Scattered storms are expected later today and tonight near the front, but confidence in timing is very low. HRRR in particular has trended much later with timing and have made adjustments closer to this model. Patchy fog is also possible late tonight into Saturday morning. Deubelbeiss && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Excessive Heat Warning until 10 PM CDT this evening for ILZ027- 029-031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 326 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 ILZ028-030-262030- Stark-Marshall- 326 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible through this evening. There is a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) of severe storms with damaging winds and hail possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. ILZ027-029-031-036>038-040>057-061>063-067-068-262030- Knox-Peoria-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler-Mason-Logan- De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon- Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby-Cumberland-Clark- Jasper-Crawford- 326 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Dangerous heat will continue into this evening with heat index readings of 110 to 115 degrees. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible through this evening. There is a slight risk (level 2 of 5) of severe storms with damaging winds and hail possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Isolated thunderstorms are possible south of I-74 Saturday morning. These are not expected to be severe. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. ILZ066-071>073-262030- Effingham-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 326 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Dangerous heat will continue into this evening with peak heat index readings of 110 to 120 degrees. Isolated thunderstorms are possible this evening and tonight over southeast IL. There is marginal risk (level 1 of 5) of severe storms this evening with damaging winds and hail possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Isolated thunderstorms are possible Saturday. These are not expected to be severe. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. Deubelbeiss
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
415 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023
ILZ066-252145-
Effingham-
415 PM CDT Fri Aug 25 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Effingham
County through 445 PM CDT...
At 414 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Altamont, or 14 miles southwest of Effingham, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
Edgewood around 425 PM CDT.
Other locations in the path of this storm include Watson and
Dieterich.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 57 between mile markers 144 and 156.
Interstate 70 between mile markers 79 and 89.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3909 8880 3908 8837 3892 8837 3892 8881
TIME...MOT...LOC 2114Z 273DEG 30KT 3898 8876
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
25The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:36 UTC.
20 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
An 8 to 12-inch diameter tree branch was blown down.
A large tree branch was blown down near US-136 and East Curless Road just west of Havana.
Numerous tree branches and a few trees were snapped in Mason City.
A 6-inch diameter tree branch was blown down near Toboggan Avenue and Hackney Lane.
A large garage or outbuilding collapsed.
A few trees were blown down.
Several trees were blown down.
A few trees were blown down.
Multiple large tree branches were snapped.
The roof was damaged at Olympia High School.
A few trees were blown down.
Several large trees were blown down, blocking roads in Funks Grove.
Multiple tree limbs were blown down.
Several tree branches were blown down.
A few 12 to 18-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down on 1900 East Road.
Several large tree branches were blown down.
Several large tree branches were blown down.
A pontoon boat was flipped over onto a wooden pier on Lake Pana, and a few 8-inch diameter tree limbs were snapped.
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: 1130512, 1130514, 1130513, 1130522, 1130517, 1130518, 1130526, 1130520, 1130527, 1130533, 1130516, 1130528, 1130530, 1130521, 1130524, 1130519, 1130525, 1130531, 1130532, 1130535.