Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for East Central McLean County, Illinois

Source: NOAA · Central Illinois

This alert is no longer in effect.

NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).

Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for east central McLean County until 4:15 PM CST, with quarter-size hail and 50 MPH winds expected.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Affected area
Central Illinois
Issued
April 6, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Lincoln IL

Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.

Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central Illinois.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for east central McLean County in central Illinois. The alert was issued at 3:38 PM CST following radar indications of a severe weather system.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following geographic regions and transportation corridors:

  • East central McLean County
  • Cities and Towns: Towanda, areas near Normal, and Colfax.
  • Highways: Interstate 39 (mile markers 0 to 5), Interstate 55 (mile markers 160 to 175), and Interstate 74 (mile markers 125 to 130).

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Residents in the warning area should seek shelter immediately to avoid potential injury and damage from falling hail.

Expected Conditions

Radar indicates the following hazards:

  • Hail: Quarter size (1.00 inch). Damage to vehicles is expected.
  • Wind: Gusts reaching up to 50 MPH.
  • Storm Motion: At 3:37 PM CST, the storm was located over Towanda, moving east at 60 mph.

Timeline

  • Effective Time: 3:38 PM CST, March 3
  • Expected Duration: The warning is scheduled to expire at 4:15 PM CST.
  • Specific Timing: The storm is expected to be near Colfax around 3:50 PM CST.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for east central McLean County until 4:15 PM CST, with quarter-size hail and 50 MPH winds expected.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Central Illinois. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.