Weather Realness

Severe weather season is here, what do weather warnings mean and how to stay prepared

Maddie Stover, Stephanie Orellana, Jeff Frame and Reginald Hardwick
 
A satellite tornado circulates around a newly formed tornado as we crest a hill. Taken minutes after the twin wedge tornado event that hit Pilger, NE approximately 8 miles West of Pender, NE.

A satellite tornado circulates around a newly formed tornado as we crest a hill. Taken minutes after the twin wedge tornado event that hit Pilger, NE approximately 8 miles West of Pender, NE. Brent Koops / NOAA Weather

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We are in a severe weather season In Illinois. On Tuesday night, there was a severe tornado outbreak from the Chicago area and across Illinois. The storm also produced a destructive hailstorm from Pontiac to the Illinois-Indiana state line. 

The National Weather Service is investigating sites in Illinois and Indiana where at least four tornadoes hit those areas. Illinois typically averages 50 tornadoes every year. 

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate student Maddie Stover and Professor in the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, Jeff Frame talk about how to stay safe during extreme weather and what the difference between a tornado watch and warning is.  

Funding for Weather Realness is partially provided by the Backlund Charitable Trust.  If you have a question for a local scientist on this program, please leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu.