January 3, 2023 Tornado Event

Tornadoes

Maroa Tornado MACON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 4:35 - 4:38 pm CST EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 110 mph Path Length 0.89 miles Max Width 0.75 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: The tornado that occurred 3.5 miles southwest of Maroa touched down again just west of the intersection of US-51 and Washington St in Maroa. It completely destroyed a barn and tossed the remains of a grain bin across the highway. A fence was also destroyed just east of US-51 near the end of N. Sycamore St. The tornado dissipated just southwest of an RV dealership. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Farm outbuilding damaged west of HWY 51. (Source: NWS) Vehicle and cattle trailer flipped but not tossed. (Source: NWS) Barn collapsed west of HWY 51. (Source: NWS) Fence destroyed in residential area east of HWY 51. (Source: NWS)

3.5 miles Southwest of Maroa MACON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 4:33 pm CST EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 70 mph Path Length 0.31 miles Max Width 25 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: This tornado briefly touched down along Bearsdale Rd north of School Rd, damaging a power pole and irrigation unit. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Farm machinery overturned. (Source: NWS) Caption Caption Caption

Northeast side of Decatur  MACON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 6:00 - 6:01 pm CST EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 90 mph Path Length 0.20 miles Max Width 25 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: This tornado caused damage to an abandoned bowling alley on N. 22nd St, removing several wall panels on the southeast corner of the building and blowing them northeast. A storm spotter watched the tornado cross N. 22nd St before lifting. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Several metal wall panels on the southeast side of the building pulled off. (Source: Midwest & Great Lakes Storm Chasers ) Caption Caption Caption

Decatur #2 Tornado MACON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 6:05 - 6:08 pm CST EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 80 mph Path Length 1.10 miles Max Width 20 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: The tornado moved through the southern and eastern parts of Richland Community College doing minor damage. The tornado touched down near a parking lot and moved several trailers. As it moved northeast, it damage a couple of trees, with part of one tree blown out into a field. It also damaged a fence and moved multiple car parts around on the north side of a building. Insulation and debris from the abandoned bowling alley to the southwest was found in a tree and out in some fields to the east of campus. The tornado continued northeast and damaged several cedar trees on Christmas Tree Rd and then ended just northeast of there in a forested area. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Trailers moved in parking lot (Source: Richland CC) Location where trailer was      in parking lot (Source: Richland CC) Trailer moved in parking lot (Source: Richland CC) Tree damage (Source: Richland CC)

Northwest of Illiopolis SANGAMON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 3:52 pm CST EF Rating Unknown Est. Peak Winds N/A Path Length N/A Max Width N/A Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: A trained spotter reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field, causing no damage. Track Map

Looking west from Illiopolis exit off I-72. (Source: Skip Talbot) Funnel cloud lingers at 4:05 pm (Source: Skip Talbot) Funnel cloud near Illiopolis. (Source: Jeff Frame)

Southwest of Latham LOGAN COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 4:05 pm CST EF Rating Unknown Est. Peak Winds N/A Path Length N/A Max Width 10 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: A storm spotter saw a brief tornado touchdown, causing no damage. Track Map

Caption Caption Caption Caption

East-Northeast of Mt. Auburn SANGAMON COUNTY Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 5:05 pm CST EF Rating Unknown Est. Peak Winds N/A Path Length N/A Max Width 10 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0 Summary: Law enforcement reported a brief tornado touchdown east-northeast of Mt. Auburn, causing no damage. Track Map

Caption Caption Caption Caption

Bellflower Tornado McLean County Date 1/3/2023 Time (Local) 5:38-5:42 pm CST EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 110 mph Path Length 0.5 mile Max Width 25 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: The tornado touchdown just southwest of a farmstead southeast of Bellflower and moved northeast destroying a farm outbuilding and splattering dirt and grass on the east-facing side of the house. The debris from the outbuilding was blown northeast out into the field at least one quarter of a mile. The home owner watched the tornado cross north 4100 East Road, southwest of their house and move toward their property. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado damage (Source: NWS) Piece of wood impaled in the ground from the tornado (Source: NWS) Grass and dirt splattered on side of a house (Source: NWS) Side of farm outbuilding that was destroyed (Source: NWS)

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos & Video

Funnel cloud near Maroa (Jeff Frame)	Funnel cloud near Niantic (Jeff Frame)	Rope funnel cloud near Illiopolis (Jeff Frame)	Storm damage near Maroa (Connor King)
Decatur damage to a bowling alley (Midwest & Great Lakes Storm Chasers)	Decatur damage to a bowling alley (Midwest & Great Lakes Storm Chasers)	Wall cloud 1 mile SW of Maroa (Connor King)	Storm damage near Maroa (Connor King)

Radar

4-panel radar imagery near Illiopolis at 3:48 pm CST (0.5 degree reflectivity, velocity, differential reflectivity, correlation coefficient)	4-panel radar imagery near Maroa at 2229Z (0.5 degree reflectivity, velocity, differential reflectivity, correlation coefficient)	4-panel radar imagery near Decatur at 2359Z (0.5 degree reflectivity, velocity, differential reflectivity, low-level rotation tracks)	4-panel radar imagery near Bellflower at 2340Z (0.5 degree reflectivity, velocity, differential reflectivity, low-level rotation tracks)

Storm Reports

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
111 AM CST WED JAN 4 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0352 PM     TORNADO          2 WNW ILLIOPOLIS        39.86N 89.28W
01/03/2023                   SANGAMON           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CONFIRMED TORNADO SPOTTED IN RURAL AREA WEST
            NORTHWEST OF ILLIOPOLIS MOVING NORTHEAST.

0405 PM     HAIL             PAWNEE                  39.59N 89.58W
01/03/2023  M0.88 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   PUBLIC

            DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL FOR 45 SECONDS.

0534 PM     HAIL             CENTRAL ILLINOIS AIRPOR 40.48N 88.91W
01/03/2023  M0.88 INCH       MCLEAN             IL   PUBLIC

            REPORT RELAYED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. TIME
            ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0537 PM     HAIL             2 N NORMAL              40.54N 88.98W
01/03/2023  M0.50 INCH       MCLEAN             IL   PUBLIC

            REPORT FROM MPING: HALF-INCH (0.50 IN.).

0433 PM     TORNADO          3 WSW MAROA             40.01N 89.01W
01/03/2023                   MACON              IL   NWS STORM SURVEY

            PATH LENGTH 0.3 MILES, WIDTH 25 YARDS. BRIEF
            TOUCHDOWN ALONG BEARSDALE RD. NORTH OF
            SCHOOL RD, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE.

0436 PM     TORNADO          1 W MAROA               40.04N 88.97W
01/03/2023                   MACON              IL   NWS STORM SURVEY

            PATH LENGTH 0.9 MILES, WIDTH 75 YARDS. BARN
            DESTROYED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF US-51 AND
            WASHINGTON ST. REMAINS OF A GRAIN BIN WERE
            TOSSED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. A FENCE WAS
            DESTROYED JUST EAST OF US-51 NEAR THE END OF
            N. SYCAMORE ST.

0557 PM     TORNADO          2 NE DECATUR            39.87N 88.93W
01/03/2023                   MACON              IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PATH LENGTH 0.2 MILES, WIDTH 25 YARDS.
            DAMAGE OCCURRED TO AN ABANDONED BOWLING
            ALLEY ALONG N. 22ND ST. SPOTTER WATCHED
            TORNADO CROSS ROAD. VIDEO FROM AFTER THE
            STORM PASSED SHOWS DEBRIS SCATTERED ACROSS
            THE ROAD AND ADJACENT FIELD.

0405 PM     TORNADO          3 SW LATHAM             39.94N 89.20W
01/03/2023                   LOGAN              IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0517 PM     HAIL             FARMER CITY             40.24N 88.64W
01/03/2023  M1.50 INCH       DE WITT            IL   PUBLIC

            DELAYED REPORT. PICTURE OF HAIL JUST UNDER
            GOLF BALL SIZE SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. TIME
            ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

0505 PM     TORNADO          4 ENE MOUNT AUBURN      39.78N 89.19W
01/03/2023                   CHRISTIAN          IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

Environment

An occluded surface low was positioned over Iowa with a strong warm front stretched across northern Illinois and a cold front located just west of the Mississippi River by midday on Tuesday, January 3. Unseasonably warm, moist air was present in central Illinois south of the warm front with dewpoints well into the 60s (late spring levels) by the afternoon/early evening. Wind shear was modest near and south of the warm front with steep 6-7 degrees C/km lapse rates observed on the KILX January 4 00Z sounding. These ingredients created a favorable environment for rotating supercell storms that produced a handful of severe weather reports, including a few rare January tornadoes.

Jan 3 10Z (4 am) surface map	Jan 3 1930Z (1:30 pm) surface map	Jan 4 02Z (8 pm Jan 3) surface map

KILX Jan 4 00Z sounding	Jan 3 12Z Thunderstorm Outlook	Jan 3 12Z Tornado Outlook