A very rare dust storm affected central Illinois from the mid afternoon through mid evening hours on Wednesday, May 17. Several factors combined to produce significant blowing dust, which reduced visibility to near zero for several hours in open areas. The low visibility caused numerous traffic accidents and closures of interstates including I-72 from Jacksonville to Springfield, and I-74 from McLean to near Bloomington, as well as numerous state routes across the central part of the state.
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| Percent of Normal Rainfall, May 12-17 | NDVI Image Showing Vegetation Greenness |
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| Near Warrensburg (Macon Co.) Courtesy of Paul Hadfield | Near Ashland (Cass Co.) Courtesy of Ruby Hupp |
Dust Storm and Wind Gust Reports:
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
838 PM CDT WED MAY 17 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM DUST STORM 2 S SPRINGFIELD 39.75N 89.64W
05/17/2017 SANGAMON IL EMERGENCY MNGR
PORTIONS OF I-72 ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SPRINGFIELD CLOSED
DUE TO SEVERAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS FROM BLOWING DUST.
VISIBILITY REPORTED LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE.
0430 PM DUST STORM NEW BERLIN 39.73N 89.91W
05/17/2017 SANGAMON IL EMERGENCY MNGR
I-72 NEAR NEW BERLIN CLOSED DUE TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS FROM
DUST STORM
0440 PM DUST STORM 2 E AUBURN 39.58N 89.71W
05/17/2017 SANGAMON IL DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
IL-104 BETWEEN I-55 AND AUBURN CLOSED DUE TO LOW
VISIBILITY FROM DUST STORM
0500 PM DUST STORM 2 E TUSCOLA 39.80N 88.24W
05/17/2017 DOUGLAS IL EMERGENCY MNGR
SEMI AND 6 CARS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT ON RT. 36 DUE TO
ZERO VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST.
0520 PM DUST STORM MCLEAN 40.32N 89.17W
05/17/2017 MCLEAN IL LAW ENFORCEMENT
I-55 LANE CLOSURES NEAR MCLEAN DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY
FROM BLOWING DUST
0730 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 NNE PEORIA 40.79N 89.59W
05/17/2017 PEORIA IL TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS N. GRAND BLVD.
0732 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG ST. DAVID 40.49N 90.05W
05/17/2017 FULTON IL EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN
0509 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW SAVOY 40.04N 88.28W
05/17/2017 M49 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL ASOS
ASOS STATION CMI, U OF IL WILLARD AP.
0431 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SE PINKSTAFF 38.76N 87.61W
05/17/2017 M47 MPH LAWRENCE IL ASOS
ASOS STATION LWV, LAWRENCEVILLE AP.
0550 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNW LONG CREEK 39.83N 88.87W
05/17/2017 M47 MPH MACON IL ASOS
ASOS STATION DEC, DECATUR AP.
0331 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW SAVOY 40.04N 88.28W
05/17/2017 M46 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL ASOS
ASOS STATION CMI, U OF IL WILLARD AP.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW SPRINGFIELD 39.84N 89.68W
05/17/2017 M45 MPH SANGAMON IL ASOS
ASOS STATION SPI, SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP.
0342 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNW LONG CREEK 39.83N 88.87W
05/17/2017 M45 MPH MACON IL ASOS
ASOS STATION DEC, DECATUR AP.
0410 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SSW BELLEVUE 40.67N 89.68W
05/17/2017 M44 MPH PEORIA IL ASOS
ASOS STATION PIA, PEORIA INTL AP.
0130 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SE PINKSTAFF 38.76N 87.61W
05/17/2017 M44 MPH LAWRENCE IL ASOS
ASOS STATION LWV, LAWRENCEVILLE AP.
0215 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW SPRINGFIELD 39.84N 89.68W
05/17/2017 M44 MPH SANGAMON IL ASOS
ASOS STATION SPI, SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP.
0125 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 N LERNA 39.48N 88.28W
05/17/2017 M41 MPH COLES IL ASOS
ASOS STATION MTO, COLES COUNTY MEM AP.
0249 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SSW BELLEVUE 40.67N 89.68W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH PEORIA IL ASOS
ASOS STATION PIA, PEORIA INTL AP.
0615 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SE RANTOUL 40.29N 88.14W
05/17/2017 M45 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION TIP, RANTOUL NATL AVIATION CTR.
0445 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 E BLOOMINGTON 40.48N 88.92W
05/17/2017 M45 MPH MCLEAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION BMI, CENTRAL ILLINOIS RGL AP.
0338 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 E BLOOMINGTON 40.48N 88.92W
05/17/2017 M44 MPH MCLEAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION BMI, CENTRAL ILLINOIS RGL AP.
1035 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 ESE FLORA 38.66N 88.45W
05/17/2017 M43 MPH CLAY IL AWOS
AWOS STATION FOA, FLORA MUNICIPAL AP.
1015 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 WNW SAINT FRANCISVILL 38.61N 87.73W
05/17/2017 M41 MPH LAWRENCE IL AWOS
AWOS STATION AJG, MT CARMEL AP.
0335 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SE RANTOUL 40.29N 88.14W
05/17/2017 M41 MPH CHAMPAIGN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION TIP, RANTOUL NATL AVIATION CTR.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 ENE LINCOLN 40.16N 89.34W
05/17/2017 M41 MPH LOGAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION AAA, LOGAN COUNTY AP.
0415 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 N JACKSONVILLE 39.77N 90.24W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH MORGAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION IJX, JACKSONVILLE MUNI AP.
0635 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 WSW GALESBURG 40.94N 90.43W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH KNOX IL AWOS
AWOS STATION GBG, GALESBURG MUNI AP.
1155 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 WNW PALESTINE 39.02N 87.65W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH CRAWFORD IL AWOS
AWOS STATION RSV, CRAWFORD COUNTY AP.
1255 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 NNE DANVILLE 40.20N 87.60W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH VERMILION IL AWOS
AWOS STATION DNV, VERMILION RGL AP.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SSE EDGAR 39.70N 87.67W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH EDGAR IL AWOS
AWOS STATION PRG, EDGAR COUNTY AP.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 WNW TAYLORVILLE 39.53N 89.33W
05/17/2017 M40 MPH CHRISTIAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION TAZ, TAYLORVILLE MUNI AP.
0515 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E LACON 41.02N 89.39W
05/17/2017 M39 MPH MARSHALL IL AWOS
AWOS STATION C75, MARSHALL COUNTY AP.
1135 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 ENE NOBLE 38.72N 88.18W
05/17/2017 M38 MPH RICHLAND IL AWOS
AWOS STATION OLY, OLNEY NOBLE AP.
0335 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 N JACKSONVILLE 39.77N 90.24W
05/17/2017 M37 MPH MORGAN IL AWOS
AWOS STATION IJX, JACKSONVILLE MUNI AP.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E LACON 41.02N 89.39W
05/17/2017 M37 MPH MARSHALL IL AWOS
AWOS STATION C75, MARSHALL COUNTY AP.
0355 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 WSW GALESBURG 40.94N 90.43W
05/17/2017 M37 MPH KNOX IL AWOS
AWOS STATION GBG, GALESBURG MUNI AP.
1115 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 ENE HEARTVILLE 39.07N 88.53W
05/17/2017 M36 MPH EFFINGHAM IL AWOS
AWOS STATION 1H2, EFFINGHAM COUNTY MEM AP.
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