March 10, 2026    
(Click on images to enlarge them)

The Storm Prediction Center had posted a Moderate Risk with a 15% hatched area for Tornadoes. 



My son Ryan and I had been watching the model runs and were undecided if we wanted to put in a 3-4 hour drive up to northern Illinois with the possibility storms would not initiate until after dark.  Finally around noon, we decided to take a gamble and head north hoping for daylight storms.

We chose Peoria, Illinois as our target city.  When we reached Peoria, we stopped for lunch and looked over the latest data. As we finished our meal, we noticed a cell on radar going up just 20 miles to our east.  This would be an easy catch, so we made our way east toward the storm.  As we neared it, it became severe warned.

When we reached Interstate 55, we headed north and just as we reached the Pontiac, Illinois exit, a rapidly rotating wall cloud formed right in front of us. We got off the highway and headed east through the town.  The funnel never fully condensed, but we observed the confirmed Tornado kicking up debris off the ground to our north.




As the storm continued to move northeastward, it continued to show minor rotation as a new, rather ragged wall cloud developed while the trailing, original wall cloud continued to spin with a funnel cloud.  The storm chaser convergence was massive, but luckily, road grids spread those vehicles out.

The storm continued on, but was heading in a northeastward direction and briefly crossed over the warm front into the colder air.  It was also looking a bit high based.  This caused us to nearly give up on this storm and head back west for potential later storm development, but just as we were about to turn around, the storm movement began turning eastward and latched back onto the warm front and put the storm back in the warm air.  The storm began intensifying again and became surface based as it now rode the front eastward.

As we neared the southern end of Kankakee, Illinois, the storm throws out another funnel and Tornado touchdown.





As the storm passes Kankakee, rain completely surrounds the circulation hiding most tornado views.  Occasionally however, the rain lightens up enough to get a peek at a now powerful Tornado which is firmly on the ground.

Look closely at the Tornado in the rain curtains



After exiting the populated section on the south side of Kankakee, the storm continued with its powerful Tornado on the ground as it moved east.  Darkness was now replacing daylight.  We stayed right along side of it stopping several times hoping the rain-wrapped Tornado would make another showing.




 
We continued following the storm across the border into Indiana in complete darkness.  Lightning was frequent as it lit up the storm.  We never could determine if we were looking at wedge Tornadoes or just rain wrapped circulations.







We traveled with this Tornadic Supercell from its beginning near Bloomington, Illinois over 110 miles into Indiana.  The Tornadoes that were out in the open and not hid by rain failed to fully condense to the ground.  As the Tornadoes reached Kankakee, then the Tornadoes seemed to fully condense, but mostly out of sight behind the rain curtains.  In addition to the Tornadoes, this storm reportedly created hailstones in excess of 6 inches, an Illinois State record.  We stayed well south of the storm's core, so we were never in position to see any hail.  As odd as it may seem, during our entire trip, we never saw a drop of rain.
National Weather Service Storm Damage Survey


Log
Trip Log


12.5 Hours  -  504 Miles
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