Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

The severe wind outbreak of March 31, 2023

342 wind reportsIllinois, Indiana, Iowa and 11 more states

342 damaging wind reports across 14 states between 1:43 PM and 12:53 AM the next day CDT, 71 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 83 mph in Lee County, IL. 268 hail reports and 127 tornadoes the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · March 31, 2023

How the day unfolded

Every damaging wind report of the day at its logged time, with the day's hail reports and tornadoes, and the counties they reached.

About this replay
Central time—Historical replay — logged report times
Wind reports—of 342 that day
Strongest gust—measured, so far
Largest hail—so far

The day in numbers

Wind reports
342
on Friday, March 31, 2023
75 mph or more
71
20 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust
83 mph
72 knots, Lee County, IL
Measured
66
reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind
3
8 injured
Counties reporting
174
in 14 states

Hour by hour

Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Wind reports per hour, March 31, 2023 1 PM: 2 2 PM: 3 3 PM: 2 4 PM: 11 5 PM: 23 6 PM: 33 7 PM: 49 8 PM: 66 66 9 PM: 32 10 PM: 44 11 PM: 42 Midnight: 35 1 PM3 PM5 PM7 PM9 PM11 PM

The strongest winds

The 100 strongest reports with a speed. Measured gusts come from an instrument; estimated speeds are judged from damage.

Strongest wind reports, March 31, 2023
4:51 PMBureau County IL119 mph103Estimated0
5:43 PMLouisa County IA119 mph103Estimated0
6:27 PMHenry County IL115 mph100Estimated0
7:26 PMTunica County MS105 mph91Estimated0
5:30 PMMississippi County AR100 mph87Estimated0
6:49 PMBureau County IL99 mph86Estimated0
7:01 PMBureau County IL98 mph85Estimated0
6:47 PMBureau County IL97 mph84Estimated0
5:37 PMTipton County TN96 mph83Estimated0
6:25 PMHaywood County TN96 mph83Estimated0
7:34 PMTunica County MS96 mph83Estimated0
9:37 PMMcNairy County TN96 mph83Estimated0
7:01 PMBureau County IL93 mph81Estimated0
6:57 PMBureau County IL90 mph78Estimated0
6:58 PMBureau County IL90 mph78Estimated0
7:00 PMBureau County IL90 mph78Estimated0
8:57 PMLee County AR90 mph78Estimated0
10:49 PMChristian County KY90 mph78Estimated0
11:36 PMHardin County TN90 mph78Estimated0
11:18 PMBenton County TN86 mph75Estimated0
7:46 PMDeSoto County MS85 mph74Estimated0
8:19 PMDuPage County IL85 mph74Estimated0
8:40 PMFayette County TN85 mph74Estimated0
8:48 PMHardeman County TN85 mph74Estimated0
8:48 PMHardeman County TN85 mph74Estimated0
8:55 PMHardeman County TN85 mph74Estimated0
9:55 PMShelby County TN85 mph74Estimated3
10:30 PMBenton County TN85 mph74Estimated0
11:05 PMMcNairy County TN85 mph74Estimated0
11:15 PMMcNairy County TN85 mph74Estimated0
7:39 PMLee County IL83 mph72Measured0
10:02 PMOwen County IN83 mph72Measured0
10:09 PMHoward County IN83 mph72Estimated0
5:50 PMHenderson County IL81 mph70Measured0
4:58 PMMercer County IL81 mph70Estimated0
6:48 PMScott County IA81 mph70Estimated0
7:05 PMPhillips County AR81 mph70Estimated0
7:22 PMIowa County IA81 mph70Estimated0
7:32 PMTunica County MS81 mph70Estimated0
7:48 PMKane County IL81 mph70Estimated0
7:48 PMKane County IL81 mph70Estimated0
7:52 PMKane County IL81 mph70Estimated0
8:27 PMMarshall County MS81 mph70Estimated0
8:40 PMBenton County MS81 mph70Estimated0
8:55 PMLake County IN81 mph70Estimated0
8:56 PMPorter County IN81 mph70Estimated0
10:09 PMClinton County IN81 mph70Estimated0
11:00 PMWells County IN81 mph70Estimated0
11:04 PMHardeman County TN81 mph70Estimated0
11:57 PMOttawa County OH79 mph69Measured0
9:22 PMJasper County IN78 mph68Measured0
7:41 PMDeKalb County IL75 mph65Measured0
10:18 PMHoward County IN75 mph65Measured0
6:00 PMWarren County IL75 mph65Estimated0
6:00 PMWarren County IL75 mph65Estimated0
6:55 PMBureau County IL75 mph65Estimated0
6:56 PMBureau County IL75 mph65Estimated0
7:25 PMDubuque County IA75 mph65Estimated0
7:58 PMKane County IL75 mph65Estimated0
7:58 PMKane County IL75 mph65Estimated0
7:59 PMKane County IL75 mph65Estimated0
8:00 PMKane County IL75 mph65Estimated0
8:00 PMKane County IL75 mph65Estimated0
9:00 PMTippecanoe County IN75 mph65Estimated0
9:48 PMOwen County IN75 mph65Estimated0
9:50 PMBoone County IN75 mph65Estimated0
10:10 PMMorgan County IN75 mph65Estimated0
10:12 PMElkhart County IN75 mph65Estimated0
10:55 PMWells County IN75 mph65Estimated0
12:46 AMUnion County MS75 mph65Estimated0
12:50 AMLee County MS75 mph65Estimated0
7:47 PMDeKalb County IL74 mph64Measured0
9:11 PMPorter County IN74 mph64Measured0
10:14 PMHoward County IN74 mph64Estimated0
6:18 PMDubuque County IA72 mph63Measured0
7:37 PMMadison County IL72 mph63Measured0
8:06 PMWill County IL72 mph63Measured0
8:14 PMMarion County IL72 mph63Measured0
8:20 PMChampaign County IL72 mph63Measured0
10:23 PMTipton County IN72 mph63Measured0
8:13 PMWill County IL71 mph62Measured0
8:15 PMChampaign County IL71 mph62Measured0
5:05 PMBenton County IA70 mph61Measured0
5:30 PMBenton County IA70 mph61Measured0
1:43 PMClark County MO70 mph61Estimated0
2:51 PMGrundy County MO70 mph61Estimated0
4:25 PMMarion County IA70 mph61Estimated0
5:20 PMClark County MO70 mph61Estimated0
5:32 PMBenton County IA70 mph61Estimated0
5:40 PMLinn County IA70 mph61Estimated0
6:11 PMDubuque County IA70 mph61Estimated0
6:13 PMMercer County IL70 mph61Estimated0
6:20 PMHenry County IL70 mph61Estimated0
6:30 PMDubuque County IA70 mph61Estimated0
6:54 PMBureau County IL70 mph61Estimated0
7:11 PMLee County IL70 mph61Estimated0
7:11 PMLee County IL70 mph61Estimated0
7:18 PMLaSalle County IL70 mph61Estimated0
7:21 PMLaSalle County IL70 mph61Estimated0
7:22 PMLaSalle County IL70 mph61Estimated0

By state

Severe weather reports by state, March 31, 2023
Illinois11583 mph663.50
Indiana8083 mph311.75
Iowa2972 mph672.75
Ohio2879 mph31.25
Tennessee2563 mph71.50
Kentucky1861 mph11.00
Missouri12—563.00
Mississippi10—0—
Louisiana9—11.00
Arkansas564 mph82.00
Texas4—112.00
Michigan362 mph71.50
Wisconsin3—31.25
Kansas1—10.88
Minnesota0—30.88
Oklahoma0—21.00
South Dakota0—10.88

Counties with the most wind reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

268 hail reports, 17 of 2 inches or more; 127 tornadoes.

Largest hail, March 31, 2023
4:20 PMAdams County IL3.50
2:47 PMHoward County MO3.00
2:56 PMFulton County IL2.75
2:56 PMAppanoose County IA2.75
3:59 PMMarion County MO2.75
2:55 PMAppanoose County IA2.50
2:56 PMAppanoose County IA2.50
3:30 PMWoodford County IL2.50
4:03 PMMarion County MO2.50
2:54 PMAppanoose County IA2.25
2:57 PMRandolph County MO2.00
3:25 PMWoodford County IL2.00
3:35 PMBoone County MO2.00
3:51 PMHempstead County AR2.00
4:11 PMPike County IL2.00
4:50 PMBrown County IL2.00
7:15 PMShelby County TX2.00
12:40 PMRinggold County IA1.75
12:54 PMMarion County MO1.75
1:08 PMDent County MO1.75
1:42 PMJohnson County MO1.75
1:48 PMJohnson County MO1.75
1:50 PMWarren County IA1.75
1:53 PMClarke County IA1.75
2:06 PMMercer County MO1.75
2:28 PMJasper County IA1.75
2:31 PMChariton County MO1.75
2:34 PMGrundy County MO1.75
2:40 PMHoward County MO1.75
2:49 PMFulton County IL1.75
2:50 PMStory County IA1.75
2:55 PMPeoria County IL1.75
3:00 PMPeoria County IL1.75
3:08 PMMarshall County IA1.75
3:15 PMPeoria County IL1.75
3:20 PMAdair County MO1.75
3:27 PMWoodford County IL1.75
3:28 PMTitus County TX1.75
3:30 PMBoone County MO1.75
3:33 PMMonroe County MO1.75
3:42 PMHempstead County AR1.75
3:44 PMBureau County IL1.75
3:59 PMRalls County MO1.75
4:00 PMAudrain County MO1.75
4:02 PMWapello County IA1.75
4:07 PMCallaway County MO1.75
4:10 PMPike County MO1.75
4:25 PMBureau County IL1.75
5:15 PMJohnson County IA1.75
5:16 PMGrant County AR1.75

The tornado outbreak of March 31, 2023: 127 tornadoes, each with its touchdown time and path.

2023 · On this date in other years · The biggest severe wind days

  1. A report is a single damage or measurement report to the National Weather Service. Several reports can describe one gust front, so reports are not storms.
  2. Reporting has grown with population, spotter networks and the internet, so counts from different decades are not directly comparable.
  3. Thunderstorm wind reports start at 50 knots (58 mph). SPC began flagging measured against estimated speeds in 2006; earlier reports are shown as estimated.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1955 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; a severe wind day here has 300 or more damaging wind reports, or 15 or more of 75 knots (86 mph) or more.