A strong storm system is expected to impact parts of the Midwest Thursday, bringing a two-round severe weather threat across portions of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:
🌩 First Round: Thursday Morning (8 AM – 2 PM)
As a warm front lifts north, storms are expected to develop across central and southern Illinois and nearby areas of eastern Missouri and western Indiana.
Areas to watch in Illinois:
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Peoria
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Springfield
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Decatur
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Champaign
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Galesburg
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Quincy
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Bloomington
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Effingham
Potential threats:
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Strong wind gusts
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Hail
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Brief, isolated tornado risk
Forecasters say widespread severe weather is not expected, but isolated stronger cells could intensify quickly, especially near and just south of the warm front.
⛈ Second Round: After 3 PM (Highly Conditional)
A second wave of storms may develop later in the afternoon and evening — but this depends on whether the atmosphere can “recover” after the morning storms.
If redevelopment occurs, all severe modes would be possible:
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Damaging winds
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Large hail
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Isolated tornadoes
Expanded risk areas include:
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Indianapolis
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Bloomington
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Lafayette
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Louisville
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Bowling Green
Additional Illinois communities in the broader monitoring zone:
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Carbondale
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Marion
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Mount Vernon
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Olney
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Vandalia
⚠️ Overall Risk Assessment
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Not expected to be a high-end outbreak.
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Severe threat currently categorized as relatively low.
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However, conditions could escalate quickly depending on storm organization and atmospheric recovery.
✅ What Residents Should Do
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Monitor updated forecasts Thursday morning.
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Enable wireless emergency alerts on your phone.
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Have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.
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Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
While this is more of a “stay alert” setup than a major outbreak scenario, warm-front-driven systems can produce quick, localized severe weather — especially in late winter across the Midwest,
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