Illinois is having a crazier than normal tornado season this year, breaking last year’s annual record halfway into 2026 with another swath of storms Wednesday.
But why is the state seeing such an unusual level of storm activity?
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill spoke with the Peoria Journal Star about the causes of this historic tornado season, along with impacts seen by local communities.
Here’s what he said.
Does Illinois normally experience this many tornadoes?
Merrill told the Journal Star that Illinois has seen a preliminary count of 164 tornadoes so far this year, with the final count likely ending up lower.
Though the final count is not yet known as of Thursday, June 18, it will no doubt be much higher than the state’s yearly average, which Merrill said is just 64.
AccuWeather reported that Illinois had already broken its annual tornado record of 147 Wednesday, with multiple confirmed twisters seen across central parts of the state.
Why is Illinois seeing so many tornadoes this year?
Merrill, who is part of Accuweather’s long-range forecast team, said the group previously identified an uptick in severe weather from northern Texas to the Midwest going into this summer.
One of the major contributing factors identified by the team was El Niño, which is strengthening now that summer is underway with the jet stream aiming from Texas to the Midwest, Merrill said.
El Niño occurs when Pacific Ocean waters are warmer than average, impacting global weather patterns, according to NOAA.
Merrill’s team also studied salinity trends in the Atlantic Ocean, identifying a higher concentration of salt closer to the U.S. East Coast. He said this can yield a more active severe weather season in the Midwest in the springtime, producing frequent rounds of thunderstorms.
Merrill said these two indicators pointed to a higher possibility of areas between Texas and the Midwest seeing severe weather. He also said they pointed to a possible derecho, which is defined by the NOAA as a “widespread, long-lived wind storm” typically producing damage along a straight swath in one direction.
Merrill identified one example in northern Illinois on June 10, where a preliminarily confirmed derecho produced wind damage along a stretch of about 400 miles with gusts up to 94 mph.
Will storms continue for the rest of the summer?
Merrill forecasted above average rainfall with continuing storms in July, but said August may bring some reprieve.
He said rainfall will be closer to average in August with a lower number of storms.
How have tornadoes affected Illinois?
Merrill noted that short-term dryness and drought conditions identified in Illinois had lessened or altogether disappeared following recent storms.
For example, a moderate drought identified around June 2 in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin has “now gone away,” according to Merrill.
This is consistent with Midwest drought conditions noted by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Other smaller drought pockets would likely disappear as well over the next few weeks in neighboring Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, he said.
Merrill had not identified any major agricultural impacts in Illinois as a result of the storms, but said southern parts of Missouri had reported pastures in “excellent conditions” due to the rain.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Why is Illinois being hit with so many tornadoes this year?
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
