Several tornado warned storms charge across Central IL

Flooding along Springfield Avenue between Goodwin and Lincoln Avenues in Urbana after heavy rains on December 10, 2021.

Updated Saturday at 12:35 a.m.

URBANA – Meteorologists issued several tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings on Friday evening. An approaching cold front and warm moist air clashed, spawning severe weather in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky late Friday. There are early reports of damage in the Illinois towns of Windsor and Gays in Moultrie County after reported tornadoes. Meteorologist Andrew Pritchard, reporting during live coverage on WILL-AM 580, said the severe storm threat greatly lessened before midnight. 

In the immediate Champaign-Urbana area, there were high wind gusts and heavy rain, causing street flooding, but no casualties or major damage were reported.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Effingham IL, Paris IL, Marshall IL until 12:45 AM CST

 

A Tornado Watch (#557) remains in effect until 2 am for portions of east central Illinois. Damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes are possible. Make sure you have a way to monitor the weather, and get to safe shelter as the storms approach. #ilwx

 

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Charleston IL, Mattoon IL, Effingham IL until 11:45 PM CST

 

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Decatur IL, Clinton IL, Mount Zion IL until 9:45 PM CST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Riverton IL, Mount Pulaski IL, Spaulding IL until 9:00 PM CST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Chatham IL, Auburn IL, Rochester IL until 9:00 PM CST

Tornado Warning including Mason City IL, Petersburg IL, Virginia IL until 8:45 PM CST

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Illinois and Indiana until 2 AM CST

 

Updated Friday at 4:00 p.m.


Updated Friday at 11:00 a.m.

URBANA – Meteorologists are warning people in Central Illinois to be weather aware on Friday evening and night. Late Friday morning, the National Weather Service warned that damaging winds and scattered tornadoes will be possible in Bloomington, as well as Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, and southward. 

Meteorologist Andrew Pritchard calls the late-season severe weather risk unusual.

“Temperatures will likely continue to rise into the early overnight as a strong storm system approaches,” says Pritchard. “Thunderstorms are expected to develop near/after sunset to our west and then race across central Illinois overnight, with the risk of damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.”

Pritchard advises people to take the storms seriously and make plans to hear the weather alerts before going to bed Friday night.

“The calendar says December and the peak risk for severe weather locally will be between 9 PM and 3 AM making this a very unusual setup, but it needs to be taken seriously,” said Pritchard. “Plug those weather radios in and be weather aware as you enjoy your Friday evening.”

Click here to learn more about special NOAA weather radios that send out signals when a severe storm or tornado warning is issued for your county.

 

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on 7 NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsWILL