Drought, Alexander
- When
- April 28, 6:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Alexander forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Illinois, April 28 to 30, 2026
A very warm April, with temperatures running 7-8 degrees F above normal, along with April precipitation around an inch below normal, and especially a soil moisture ranking near the 1st percentile following a record to near record dry winter, resulted in development of Severe (D2) Drought at the very end of April in the southernmost portions of Illinois. The late month start of D2 drought kept…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
A very warm April, with temperatures running 7-8 degrees F above normal, along with April precipitation around an inch below normal, and especially a soil moisture ranking near the 1st percentile following a record to near record dry winter, resulted in development of Severe (D2) Drought at the very end of April in the southernmost portions of Illinois. The late month start of D2 drought kept April agricultural impacts minor initially, though farm pond levels were very low and planting was ahead of schedule. Drought continued into May in far southern Illinois.
What forecasters said that day
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 Apr 28, 5:56 AM CST, 4 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Showers and thunderstorms will stream across the Quad State late this afternoon through tonight. A few severe storms with large hail and damaging winds will be possible mainly late this afternoon and this evening, especially over southern portions of the region.
- Breezy north winds Wednesday will send temperatures down to near normal levels or below through Saturday. It should be dry through the period for most of the Quad State, but a period or two of light rain cannot be ruled out (15-20% chance) over southern portions of southeast Missouri and west Kentucky.
- Temperatures will climb back above normal early next week, as 15-30% chances of showers and thunderstorms return.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 28, 5:56 AM CST, 4 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 656 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers and thunderstorms will stream across the Quad State late this afternoon through tonight. A few severe storms with large hail and damaging winds will be possible mainly late this afternoon and this evening, especially over southern portions of the region. - Breezy north winds Wednesday will send temperatures down to near normal levels or below through Saturday. It should be dry through the period for most of the Quad State, but a period or two of light rain cannot be ruled out (15-20% chance) over southern portions of southeast Missouri and west Kentucky. - Temperatures will climb back above normal early next week, as 15-30% chances of showers and thunderstorms return. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 227 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 Overnight convection should be southeast of the Quad State by daybreak today, and most of the day should be dry. Much of the latest guidance has backed off on the severe storm potential for today, as instability is now much more limited. The RRFS, HREF, and HRRR confine any tangible surface-based instability and severe storm threat to the southern border region from around Carter County to Calloway County in the 4-8 PM time frame. Later as the upper system approaches and some semblance of a surface wave lifts northeast across the Quad State, instability is extremely limited, resulting in more showers over the entire region late this evening into the overnight hours, and possibly into Wednesday morning in the far east. The environment will likely change rapidly through the day, and there is still plenty of potential for conditions to support a more robust severe weather threat than is currently advertised by much of the CAM guidance. The more significant hail and tornado threats depicted in the SPC Day 1 Outlook certainly cannot be ruled out at this time. Needless to say after Monday's event, forecast confidence is quite low. Gusty northwest winds will usher in much cooler air to the Quad State Wednesday. Confluent flow aloft should keep the region dry through the end of the week, but the NBM still has a 15-20% chance of light rain over southern portions of southeast Missouri and west Kentucky Friday into Friday evening. Cyclonic northwest flow aloft will keep the weekend dry, but guidance brings a couple of impulses through the Great Lakes that could bring some convection into the Quad State Monday and Tuesday (15-30% chance). Surface high pressure will have the Gulf locked up tight, so moisture will be severely limited which should make it difficult to get any tangible precipitation to the Quad State. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 655 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 A brief MVFR ceiling will be possible for the first few hours this morning. The next round of convection will impact KCGI and KPAH with TSRA from 21Z to 01Z, After a short break, widespread showers are expected to overspread all sites late this evening into the overnight hours. Some thunder is possible. The cold front will push southeast through all sites from 04Z at KMVN to 10Z at KOWB. MVFR or lower ceilings are possible behind the front. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && DISCUSSION...DRS AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 28, 2:20 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 320 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-291000- 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- 320 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 /420 AM EDT Tue Apr 28 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms will spread northeast across the region late this afternoon and tonight. A few severe storms with large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes will be possible, mainly over the southern half of the Quad State. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be required late this afternoon and tonight. DRS
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 28, 12:14 AM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
114 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1214 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SE Calhoun 37.51N 87.22W
04/28/2026 McLean KY Fire Dept/Rescue
Tree down and roof off of building.
&&
KSLocal storm report, Apr 28, 12:44 AM CST, 5 hours 16 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
144 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1213 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 NNW Livermore 37.51N 87.15W
04/28/2026 McLean KY Fire Dept/Rescue
Building damage, detached garage collapsed,
metal in field.
&&
KSSpecial weather statement, Apr 28, 1:03 AM CST, 4 hours 57 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
203 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
KYZ017-022-280745-
Todd KY-Christian KY-
203 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN CHRISTIAN AND TODD
COUNTIES THROUGH 245 AM CDT...
At 203 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 9 miles northwest of Russellville to near Fort
Campbell. Movement was southeast at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Oak Grove, Elkton, Fort Campbell, Clarksville, Guthrie, Pembroke,
Trenton, Justice, Allensville, and Herndon.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 24 in Kentucky between Mile Markers 80 and 92.
Pennyrile Parkway between Mile Markers 1 and 2.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM CDT for south central
Kentucky.
&&
LAT...LON 3664 8706 3664 8750 3672 8761 3696 8706
3677 8705
TIME...MOT...LOC 0703Z 306DEG 26KT 3691 8703 3672 8747
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ATLThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Pulaski
- When
- April 28, 6:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pulaski forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Massac
- When
- April 28, 6:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Massac forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Pope
- When
- April 28, 6:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pope forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 28 to 29, 2026
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 28, 2026
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, April 28, 2026
- Hail in Arkansas, April 28, 2026
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, April 28, 2026
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 28, 2026
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, April 28, 2026
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 28 to 29, 2026
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 28, 2026
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 28, 2026
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 28, 2026
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 28, 2026
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2026
Sources
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: 1330843, 1330844, 1330845, 1330846.