March 14, 2019: Isolated Severe Storms Including a Brief Tornado Near Lowell, IN

Overview

Summary:

Numerous thunderstorms developed across northern Illinois, especially along the I-55 corridor, during the late morning on Thursday, March 14. These shifted east through the early afternoon into northwest Indiana. Several of these storms were supercells, and what meteorologists call "low-topped", in that they were not particularly deep as in late spring or summer. However, due to a potent weather system over the Plains, a very strong atmospheric wind field had enveloped the area helping storms to have a wind threat and rotate, bringing tornado potential. A brief EF-0 tornado occurred near Lowell, Indiana. In addition, very cold air aloft resulted in many storms having at least small hail, and a few bringing large hail. Strong non-thunderstorms winds then followed through the afternoon and evening.

Event Summary

Storm Reports
Lowell Tornado
Photos
Radar
Non-Thunderstorm Winds
Meteorology & Additional Info

Storm Reports

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1125 AM CDT FRI MAR 15 2019

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

0645 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST GARY AIRPORT            41.62N 87.41W
03/14/2019  M58 MPH          LAKE               IN   AWOS

            AWOS STATION GYY, GARY AIRPORT.

0313 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 ESE VALPARAISO        41.45N 87.01W
03/14/2019  M62 MPH          PORTER             IN   ASOS

            ASOS STATION VPZ, VALPARAISO AIRPORT.

0304 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST OHARE AIRPORT           41.98N 87.91W
03/14/2019  M60 MPH          COOK               IL   ASOS

            ASOS STATION ORD, CHICAGO OHARE.

0228 PM     HAIL             5 SE VALPARAISO         41.42N 87.01W
03/14/2019  E0.70 INCH       PORTER             IN   PUBLIC



0221 PM     HAIL             4 N KOUTS               41.37N 87.03W
03/14/2019  E1.00 INCH       PORTER             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            ESTIMATED 60 MPH WINDS.

0153 PM     HAIL             4 SW LOWELL             41.25N 87.46W
03/14/2019  E1.00 INCH       LAKE               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER



0153 PM     HAIL             HAMMOND                 41.58N 87.50W
03/14/2019  E1.00 INCH       LAKE               IN   PUBLIC

            ESTIMATED 60 MPH WINDS TOO.

0152 PM     HAIL             1 SSW MUNSTER           41.53N 87.51W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       LAKE               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER



0151 PM     TORNADO          2 SSE LOWELL            41.27N 87.41W
03/14/2019                   LAKE               IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            THROUGH PICTURES AND OTHER DATA PROVIDED BY
            LAKE COUNTY EMA, AS WELL AS TRAINED STORM
            SPOTTERS, A SHORT-LIVED EF-0 TORNADO WAS
            CONFIRMED. PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MI. DAMAGE
            WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY TO TREES, INCLUDING
            PORTION OF A LARGE ONE DOWNED ON A HOME.
            SOME SHINGLE DAMAGE ON ANOTHER HOME,
            MULTIPLE FENCES DAMAGED, AND ONE UTILITY
            POLE SNAPPED AND OTHERS DAMAGED.

0149 PM     HAIL             DYER                    41.50N 87.51W
03/14/2019  E1.50 INCH       LAKE               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM DYER.

0143 PM     HAIL             2 SSE SAUK VILLAGE      41.47N 87.55W
03/14/2019  M1.00 INCH       WILL               IL   COCORAHS



0130 PM     HAIL             MOMENCE                 41.16N 87.66W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       KANKAKEE           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS PEA SIZED HAIL IN
            MOMENCE.

0125 PM     HAIL             4 SE PEOTONE            41.30N 87.73W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       KANKAKEE           IL   PUBLIC



0124 PM     HAIL             2 ESE LOCKPORT          41.58N 88.03W
03/14/2019  M0.25 INCH       WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ALSO 30-40 MPH WINDS.

0115 PM     HAIL             BOURBONNAIS             41.16N 87.88W
03/14/2019  M0.25 INCH       KANKAKEE           IL   PUBLIC



0115 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSW CHEBANSE          40.97N 87.92W
03/14/2019                   IROQUOIS           IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            IROQUOIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS
            BARN DESTROYED BY HIGH WINDS. TIME ESTIMATED
            BY RADAR.

0110 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CLIFTON                 40.93N 87.94W
03/14/2019                   IROQUOIS           IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            IROQUOIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS
            ROOF DAMAGE TO A RESIDENCE IN CLIFTON. TIME
            ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0105 PM     HAIL             ASHKUM                  40.88N 87.96W
03/14/2019  M1.00 INCH       IROQUOIS           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1249 PM     HAIL             OAK BROOK               41.84N 87.95W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       DUPAGE             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1248 PM     HAIL             CLARENDON HILLS         41.80N 87.96W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       DUPAGE             IL   PUBLIC



1233 PM     HAIL             WILLOWBROOK             41.77N 87.94W
03/14/2019  M0.25 INCH       DUPAGE             IL   PUBLIC

            PEA TO HALF INCH HAIL.

1229 PM     HAIL             GURNEE                  42.38N 87.94W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       LAKE               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1225 PM     HAIL             BOLINGBROOK             41.70N 88.07W
03/14/2019  E0.70 INCH       WILL               IL   PUBLIC



1211 PM     HAIL             2 W CRYSTAL LAWNS       41.57N 88.20W
03/14/2019  E0.70 INCH       WILL               IL   PUBLIC



1207 PM     HAIL             2 SW SHOREWOOD          41.50N 88.22W
03/14/2019  E1.00 INCH       WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1207 PM     HAIL             1 W SHOREWOOD           41.52N 88.23W
03/14/2019  M1.00 INCH       WILL               IL   NWS EMPLOYEE



1206 PM     HAIL             MORRIS                  41.36N 88.42W
03/14/2019  M0.75 INCH       GRUNDY             IL   PUBLIC



1141 AM     HAIL             LAKEVIEW                41.95N 87.66W
03/14/2019  E0.70 INCH       COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1140 AM     HAIL             2 N MAZON               41.27N 88.43W
03/14/2019  E1.00 INCH       GRUNDY             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1136 AM     HAIL             BROOKFIELD              41.82N 87.85W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       COOK               IL   PUBLIC



1132 AM     HAIL             LYONS                   41.81N 87.82W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       COOK               IL   PUBLIC



1129 AM     HAIL             DARIEN                  41.75N 87.97W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       DUPAGE             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1121 AM     HAIL             BOLINGBROOK             41.70N 88.07W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1109 AM     HAIL             DWIGHT                  41.09N 88.43W
03/14/2019  E0.25 INCH       LIVINGSTON         IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT



1103 AM     HAIL             HOMEWOOD                41.56N 87.66W
03/14/2019  M0.25 INCH       COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1100 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NNE PULLMAN           41.73N 87.58W
03/14/2019                   COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MULTIPLE TREE BRANCHES DOWN (3-6 INCH
            DIAMETER) IN CALUMET HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD OF
            CHICAGO.

Lowell, Indiana Tornado:

Tornado - Lowell, IN
COUNTY NAME

Date	March 14, 2019
Time (Local)	1:51 - 1:53 p.m.
EF Rating	0
Est. Peak Winds	80-85 mph
Est. Path Length	1.5 miles
Est. Max Width	75 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: Through pictures and other data provided by the Lake County, Indiana Emergency Management Agency, as well as trained storm spotters, a short-lived EF-0 tornado was confirmed on the outskirts of the community of Lowell. The actual tornado may have very briefly lifted once or twice during its 2-3 minute duration, per reports and damage. The damage was limited almost entirely to trees, with portions of a few large trees downed including one on a home. There was also some shingle damage on another home, multiple fences damaged, and one utility pole snapped and others damaged. This was the first tornado in Lake County, Indiana since multiple tornadoes on June 30, 2014. and the earliest tornado in the calendar year in Lake County since an F2 on March 12, 1976.

Track Map

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


Livingston County storm from Dan Butler	Wall Cloud near Minooka, IL by Eric Pershey


Funnel near Lowell, IN by Matt Magiera	Hail in Dyer, IN by Brad MacFarlane	Porter County by Dan Butler	Lowering and possible wall cloud near the Malden and Kouts area in Porter County, IN by Kelly Barbour.

Downtown Chicago early in the afternoon. The low clouds are due to a combination of rain-cooled downdrafts and marine layer fog over the cooler lake. There was not an imminent tornado threat in the city, but one can see how it can easily be mistaken as such with "scary looking clouds" such as this. This is where our trained storm spotter reports are valued so much!

Radar


Small but long-lived supercell that had started in Livingston County and persisted through Cook County. This was a look at it near Minooka. Rotation with this occasionally intensified.	Supercells in northwest Indiana at 1:52 p.m.	Supercells in northwest Indiana at 2:20 p.m.

Non-Thunderstorm Winds

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Chicago IL
744 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2019

...Peak Non-Thunderstorm Wind Gusts from 3/14/19...

The following are peak observed non-thunderstorm wind
gusts from the afternoon and evening of 3/14/19.

Location                     Speed     Time/Date
Valparaiso Airport           62 MPH    0313 PM 03/14
Chicago OHare                60 MPH    0304 PM 03/14
Gary Airport                 58 MPH    0645 PM 03/14
Chicago Crib                 56 MPH    0340 PM 03/14
West Chicago - DuPage Arpt.  55 MPH    0237 PM 03/14
Sugar Grove - Aurora Arpt.   54 MPH    0403 PM 03/14
Joliet Lock-Dam              52 MPH    0500 PM 03/14
Chicago Midway               52 MPH    0336 PM 03/14
Rockford Airport             52 MPH    0133 PM 03/14
Kankakee Airport             51 MPH    0315 PM 03/14
Rensselaer Airport           51 MPH    0315 PM 03/14
Calumet Harbor               50 MPH    0318 PM 03/14
Pontiac Airport              49 MPH    0155 PM 03/14
Rochelle Airport             49 MPH    0235 PM 03/14
Wheeling-Chicago Exec. Arpt. 48 MPH    0504 PM 03/14
DeKalb Airport               48 MPH    0315 PM 03/14
Romeoville - Lewis Airport   48 MPH    0235 PM 03/14
Waukegan Airport             48 MPH    0456 PM 03/14
Peru Airport                 48 MPH    0235 PM 03/14
Morris Airport               47 MPH    0635 PM 03/14
Lansing Airport              46 MPH    0435 PM 03/14
Joliet Airport               45 MPH    0235 PM 03/14

Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.

$$

Kluber

Meteorology & Additional Info

Hand analyzed surface map at 7 am CDT on March 14. Keys are 1.) gusting surface winds helping to drive strong warm and moist (instability) advection, high values of moisture for the time of year, and a deep surface cyclone helping to induce backed surface winds (slightly east of south). These backed winds increase low-level helicity.

Northwest Illinois (NWS Quad Cities)
Central Illinois (NWS Central Illinois)
Southern Wisconsin (NWS Milwaukee)
Northern Indiana (NWS Northern Indiana)
Central Indiana (NWS Indianapolis)
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Powerful Winter Storm from the Upper Midwest into the Northeast; Severe Thunderstorms in the Midwest and Ohio Valley

March 14, 2019: Isolated Severe Storms Including a Brief Tornado Near Lowell, IN