On the morning of May 24th a low pressure system was located over the eastern Dakotas, with Illinois positioned in the warm sector. Over the course of the day, several rounds of thunderstorms occurred.
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.
On the morning of May 24th a low pressure system was located over the eastern Dakotas, with Illinois positioned in the warm sector. Over the course of the day, several rounds of thunderstorms occurred. First, a squall line tracked across Iowa and reached Illinois by the morning. The most intense part of this squall line tracked north of central Illinois, but the system did produce one instance of wind damage in Stark County. There was a lull in severe weather during the mid-to-late morning, but around midday the lingering storms began to strengthen, while new clusters of storms developed along the associated outflow boundary. These storms continued throughout the afternoon. A cold front moved into the area during the evening, resulting in additional scattered storm development, however, all of the storms weakened into the late evening as daytime heating was lost. Collectively, the thunderstorms on May 24th produced scattered wind damage, hail, and flash flooding across central Illinois.
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 24, 5:03 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Lincoln IL 603 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A couple rounds of showers and storms are possible today including a decaying line of storms this morning and redevelopment of strong to severe storms this afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front. - Showers and thunderstorms are expected (90 percent chance) Sunday, some of which (15-30 percent) could be severe with all hazards in play. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 236 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 Early this morning, an occluded area of low pressure is centered over South Dakota while a cold front is in place across potions of Nebraska and Kansas. An MCS is ongoing along the cold front and is expected to track east across Iowa early this morning before shifting into Illinois mid to late this morning. Guidance is mixed on how well this line will stay together, but there is at least a chance for showers and storms to move across central Illinois mid to late this morning in a decaying state. Depending on how quickly we clear out from any morning convection, some models indicate that moderately strong instability will redevelop this afternoon as dew points near 70 degrees advect across central Illinois contributing to MLCAPE values of around 2000 J/kg. Forecast soundings show steep low/mid level lapse rates with no appreciable capping in place. Storms should be able to redevelop this afternoon on remnant outflow boundaries, or this evening as the synoptic cold front begins to move across the area. In general, deep layer shear is a bit marginal today, around 25-30 kt, but does become more favorable with values around 30-35 kt as the cold front approaches this evening. High pressure will build across central Illinois behind the departing cold front Saturday. At least a brief respite from the humidity is expected as dew points mix into the 40s Saturday afternoon under sunny skies. Sunday, low pressure is progged to lift from near Kansas City early in the morning to the western Great Lakes late in the evening. A broad warm sector will be in place across much of the Midwest. Central Illinois is expected to see temps in the upper 70s to lower 80s while dew points will be unseasonably high near 70 degrees. This combination of heat and humidity will contribute to strong instability Sunday afternoon with MLCAPE values around 3000 J/kg. Despite the somewhat loosely organized surface low, a negatively tilted shortwave trough and coupled upper jet will result in strong forcing for ascent across central Illinois Sunday. In addition, deep layer shear will be strong, 40 to 50 kts. Overall, kinematics and thermodynamics appear very favorable for severe weather somewhere in the region. The main question mark revolves around the evolution of early day convection which will be working across the mid Mississippi Valley Sunday morning on a veering LLJ initially focused over the mid Missouri Valley Saturday night. Outflow from these storms and convective debris adds some uncertainty in the details, but the day bears close watching for severe weather both along the warm front earlier in the day, and along the trailing cold front later in the day. Forecast soundings (NAM/SREF) Sunday show long, cyclonically curved hodographs along with very steep (>8.5-9.0 C/km) mid level lapse rates supportive of supercells and large hail. 0-1 km bulk shear of 15-25 kt and high SRH (>200 m2/s2) are supportive of supercell tornadoes. Storms should become linear with time with wind then becoming the primary hazard. Low pressure will lift to the Canadian Maritimes early next week while high pressure builds across the Great Plains. NW flow will prevail across central Illinois. Cold advection will drive steep low/mid level lapse rates and couldn't rule out some scattered showers/isolated storms, diurnally favored, in response to low amplitude shortwaves digging across the region in the NW flow. Temperatures will run a bit cooler through the first half of next week with highs only in the lower to mid 70s and overnight lows in the lower 50s. Deubelbeiss && .AVIATION... (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Saturday Morning) Issued at 602 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 Early this morning, some low stratus and patchy fog has developed across portions of east central and is spreading west. IFR/LIFR conditions will be possible this morning mainly east of I-55, then conditions should return to VFR by mid morning. A cold front will move across central Illinois later today and tonight. South winds ahead of the front will gradually veer to the west then northwest behind the front. A couple rounds of shower and storms are possible ahead or along the cold front. Deubelbeiss && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 559 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-251100- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-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-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 559 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a chance for storms this morning, then additional chances this afternoon and evening. Some of the storms this morning north of a Lewistown to Bloomington line could be severe with damaging wind gusts the primary concern. Strong to severe storms are possible again areawide this afternoon and evening and will be capable of damaging wind gusts, large hail, and an isolated tornado. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. There is an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) for severe thunderstorms Sunday across central Illinois. All hazards are possible including damaging wind gusts, large hail, tornadoes, and flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this morning through this evening. Expected storm motion is toward the east or northeast around 40 to 50 mph. Deubelbeiss
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:18 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 9 flash flood, 7 hail, 3 flood, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were blown over near the Henry and Stark County border, resulting in power outages.
Streets and roads were flooded resulting in road closures. This report was from mPING.
A tree was blown down on 2000E just north of highway 136 south of Dillsburg.
Streets and roads were flooded resulting in road closures. This report was from mPING.
The viaduct on Route 136 in Rantoul was underwater, with cars stalled out in the high water.
A bowl shaped funnel cloud was observed between Divernon and Farmersville.
Ponding of water occurred on roads and yards. This report was from mPING.
Thunderstorms produced an estimated 60 mph wind gust.
Approximately 15 trees were snapped. This was report was from social media.
Power lines blown down resulting in power outages in Rossville.
Route 136 east of Dillsburg was impassable due to high water.
Multiple tree branches were blown down at Floral Hill Cemetery.
A trained spotter reported 60 mph winds on the west side of Rossville.
Estimated 60 mph wind gusts in Hoopeston.
A tree was blown down onto power lines, resulting in a power outage.
Minor flooding on rural roads west of New City.
A barn roof was blown off and numerous tree branches were blown down.
Medium sized tree branches were blown down.
Trees were blown down on Main Street in Newman.
A tree was blown down resulting in a power outage.
Farm fields were filled with standing water.
A road closure due to flooding at 900N and 1000E roads.
The road was impassable between 1000E and 1100E.
The wall of a machine shed was blown down resulting in another wall and the roof to partially collapse.
A road was impassable due to flooding between 600N and 700N roads.
Multiple roads closed due to flooding, including Vine Street, Pease Street, Walnut Street, and Condit Street.
Cherry Street and Cross Street were closed due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 2024
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: 1177537, 1177538, 1177560, 1177561, 1177562, 1177563, 1177564, 1177565, 1177566, 1177567, 1177568, 1177569, 1177571, 1177570, 1177572, 1177573, 1177574, 1177576, 1177580, 1177582, 1177587, 1177589, 1177590, 1177592, 1177595, 1177597, 1177598, 1177604, 1177600, 1177601, 1177605, 1177608, 1177606, 1177607.