Bureau County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Bureau County, IL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 932 alerts that included Bureau County, roughly 93 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (171 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on August 21, 2026. 47 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Bureau County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Marshall County, LaSalle County, Putnam County, Henry County.
Bureau County alert history
Alert events that included Bureau County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 171 | 33 | November 11, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 95 | 8 | September 10, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 93 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 75 | 12 | August 21, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 67 | 5 | April 2, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 45 | 5 | August 15, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 44 | 2 | August 31, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 40 | 9 | September 30, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 39 | 12 | August 21, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 35 | 3 | January 26, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 32 | 7 | June 17, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 25 | 0 | January 17, 2024 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 23 | 5 | September 20, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 22 | 3 | October 17, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 22 | 1 | April 20, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 22 | 0 | November 29, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 20 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 11 | 2 | February 27, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 10 | 3 | September 2, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 9 | 0 | October 16, 2024 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 7 | 2 | July 27, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 6 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 5 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 4 | 0 | December 15, 2021 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 4 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 2 | 0 | February 12, 2019 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 2 | 2 | February 27, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 1 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 1 | 0 | February 19, 2022 |
Tornado history in Bureau County
47 tornadoes have been recorded in Bureau County since 1950, killing 1 people and injuring 1. That ranks 22 of 102 counties in Illinois. The most recent was on April 20, 2025 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Bureau County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6, 1951 | F3 | Bureau County | 21.9 mi | 150 yd | 1 | 1 |
| May 9, 1995 | F3 | Bureau County | 22 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 4, 1976 | F3 | Bureau County | 0.8 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 31, 2023 | EF2 | Henry County | 9.3 mi | 440 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 26, 1959 | F2 | Stark County | 1.9 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2025 | EF1 | Bureau County | 1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 2024 | ? | Bureau County | 0.5 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 2023 | ? | Bureau County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 31, 2023 | EF1 | Bureau County | 13.9 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 31, 2023 | EF2 | Henry County | 9.3 mi | 440 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Bureau County
- Population: 32,486 (2024 estimate)
- State: Illinois
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 017011 (how to use it)