Semi-discrete convection developed over portions of southwest Illinois during the early afternoon of March 30th. These thunderstorms produced large hail as they tracked east.
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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 LSX wrote it up.
Semi-discrete convection developed over portions of southwest Illinois during the early afternoon of March 30th. These thunderstorms produced large hail as they tracked east. The largest hailstones reported in Illinois were 1.75 inches in diameter. One of these was reported in Evansville in Randolph County, and three other reports came from Marion County.
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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 30, 5:35 AM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 635 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of central and northeast Missouri through mid-morning with damaging winds the primary threat. - Severe thunderstorms are likely this afternoon into early evening, primarily across east-central and southeast Missouri and southwest and south-central Illinois. Large hail of 2+ inches in diameter, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes remain the severe weather threats. - Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible on Wednesday, mainly in the afternoon and evening. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Late Monday Afternoon) Issued at 322 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 A loosely organized QLCS was located across extreme western AR into SW MO early this morning. This convection was associated with a shortwave trof just to it's west across the central and southern Plains. The consensus of the short range guidance tracks the QLCS northeastward and into central MO around 10-11z and rapidly moves it to the northeast and out of the CWA by 14z or so in a weakening and decaying state. Instability will increase in central MO in advance of it and that suggests that it will have at least some severe weather potential in central and northeast MO before it weakens and outruns the instability. Damaging winds would appear to be the main threat. The impacts of this system and presence of any residual outflow boundary are unclear at this time, but virtually all the guidance suggests that airmass recovery will occur in it's wake and ahead of the advancing cold front with SBCAPE of around 1500-2500 J/KG by midday. Another upstream short wave trof will move into the CWA this afternoon and the combo of it along with frontal forcing are expected to initiate the next round of storms associated with the afternoon severe weather threat. Once again the guidance is reasonably clustered indicating CI will occur along the advancing cold front in a zone from around Troy to Rolla in the 16-17z time frame. Deep layer shear vectors are strong and have a more front parallel component along the northern extent of the front and a bit more orthogonal component farther south. The expected mode would be semi-discrete supercells from far east-central MO eastward where it could be a bit messy with mergers, and then potentially more discrete storms heading further south into the Ozarks. The threat of large hail seems high and probably the greatest severe weather hazard follow by wind and then tornadoes. The tornado parameter space is not as favorable as forecast 24-48H ago with most of the guidance currently depicting 0-1km SRH of 100-200 m2/s2 across southwest/south-central IL and extreme east-central MO and southeast MO. These values are supportive of a few tornadoes, especially with strongly deviant storm motions, constructive mergers, and via internal supercell processes. Note however they are a far cry from the 0-1 km SRH values on 3/14 which ranged from 450-550 m2/s2. Our thinking has changed little that SW/SC IL and SE MO have the greatest threat of severe storms and tornado potential and this is reflected in the adjusted position of the SPC DAY1 ENH centered within that region. Present indications are the storms will have exited the CWA by 23-00z. Monday is still on track to be the coolest day of the week with tranquil and drier conditions as post-frontal surface high pressure moves into the MS Valley during the afternoon. Glass && .LONG TERM... (Monday Night through Saturday) Issued at 322 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 Rising heights aloft Monday Night into early Tuesday and the retreat of the surface high will allow for moderating temperatures as a warm advection regime becomes established featuring low- level SE-S flow. Wednesday continues to look very interesting and the synoptic pattern is coming together to support strong-severe thunderstorms with both ample instability and strong deep layer shear indicated in the plethora of available model guidance. A strong upper low/trof will lift northeastward from the Rockies and into the north-central Plains by 12z Wednesday and then into the upper MS Valley by 00z Thursday. Strong cyclogenesis across the high Plains of CO will occur on Tuesday with the cyclone tracking northeastward in association with the aforementioned lifting upper trof, and dragging a dryline/Pacific cold front into the CWA on Wednesday afternoon. Poleward moisture transport Tuesday night into Wednesday is impressive which results in notable SBCAPE values by Wednesday morning across the CWA throughout the warm sector; the conservative NBM is showing SBCAPE of 1000-1200 J/KG at 18z. A strong southwesterly LLJ could also generate elevated thunderstorms in advance of the main system on Tuesday night- early Wednesday morning. Glass && .AVIATION... (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Monday Morning) Issued at 631 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 Showers and perhaps a thunderstorm will be possible at the terminals through around 14-15z and may be accomanied by gusty winds of 30-35 kts. Otherwise ceiling heights will be lowering and the cold front will be moving east across the area. The front will serve as a catalyst for showers and storms at the St. Louis terminals from 17-20z. Gusty west to northwest winds and largely MVFR flight conditions/ceilings are expected in the wake of the front and continuing tonight. Glass && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && WFO LSX
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service St Louis MO 351 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027- 034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-310900- Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Montgomery IL-Bond IL-Fayette IL-Clinton IL- Marion IL-Washington IL-Randolph IL-Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL- Calhoun IL-Jersey IL-Madison IL-Saint Clair IL-Monroe IL-Knox MO- Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO- Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-Callaway MO-Montgomery MO- Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint Charles MO-Franklin MO- Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-Jefferson MO-Crawford MO- Washington MO-Saint Francois MO-Sainte Genevieve MO-Iron MO- Madison MO-Reynolds MO- 351 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of eastern and central Missouri as well as west central and southwest Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of central and northeast Missouri through mid-morning with damaging winds the primary threat. Severe thunderstorms are likely this afternoon into early evening, primarily across east-central and southeast Missouri and southwest and south-central Illinois. Large hail of 2+ inches in diameter, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes remain the severe weather threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. There is another chance of thunderstorms for parts of the area Tuesday night through Saturday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon and evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is likely this afternoon. Glass
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:19 UTC.
18 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew the doors of a farm outbuilding in. These winds also blew a camper on its side.
Hail ranging from 1 inch to 1.5 inches fell in Columbia.
Hail ranging in size from dimes to quarters fell for nearly 6 minutes.
Wind driven quarter sized hail damaged the siding of a building in Addieville.
Wind driven quarter sized hail caused damage to siding near New Minden.
Thunderstorm winds downed one large tree limb in Centralia.
Quarter to golf ball sized hail fell south and east of Salem.
Half dollar sized hail was measured with a ruler by the emergency manager in Nashville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, March 2025
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: 1233876, 1233877, 1233882, 1233883, 1233884, 1233885, 1233886, 1233887, 1233888, 1233889, 1233890, 1233891, 1233892, 1233896, 1233897, 1233898, 1233893, 1233901, 1233899, 1233904.