NWS Lincoln
Forecasts, warnings, weather briefings, and explanations from the local forecast office.
Open NWS Lincoln ↗Safety first: This is a research and resource dashboard, not an automated warning system. It does not display live alerts by itself. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled and use an NOAA Weather Radio or other reliable warning source. Never wait for a dashboard update before taking shelter.
Quick launch
KILX Radar
Watch storm movement and structure on the radar serving central Illinois.
Open KILX Radar ↗Storm Prediction Center
Daily severe-weather outlooks and separate tornado, wind, and hail risk maps.
Open SPC Outlooks ↗SPC Mesoanalysis
Inspect CAPE, wind shear, surface boundaries, and changing storm environments.
Open Mesoanalysis ↗Local reference areas
Compare observations along the west-to-east approach and the two recurring tracks. These are geographic reference points, not a predicted storm path.
Suggested monitoring sequence
MorningRead NWS Lincoln's discussion and the SPC outlook.
2–4 hours before arrivalCheck HRRR model guidance, satellite, and surface observations.
As storms approachMonitor official warnings and KILX radar; inspect boundaries only when safe.
After the eventCompare forecast and observed tracks; record findings in the Storm log.
Before storms: forecast preparation
Preparation checklist
During storms: radar and boundaries
Storm tracking checklist
After storms: investigate what happened
Research checklist
Questions for the storm-splitting investigation
- Did the cells weaken before reaching Ashland and Pleasant Plains?
- Was there a measured surface wind shift or outflow boundary?
- Did storms divide into two distinct tracks, or did a new storm form elsewhere?
- Did the strongest storm move toward the Springfield airport or Chatham?
- How did observed radar differ from the HRRR simulated reflectivity?
Storm observation log
Entries are stored only in this browser on this device, using local storage. They are not uploaded to your server or synchronized to other devices. Export JSON regularly for backup or transfer.
Saved observations
| Date / time | Behavior | Boundary | Notes |
|---|