Pope County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Pope County, IL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 916 alerts that included Pope County, roughly 92 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (156 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on June 27, 2026. 11 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 Pope County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Saline County, Massac County, Livingston County, Hardin County.
Pope County alert history
Alert events that included Pope County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 156 | 19 | July 27, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 84 | 4 | October 15, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 70 | 2 | July 11, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 66 | 5 | August 20, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 65 | 9 | August 20, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 63 | 10 | October 2, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 62 | 4 | March 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 56 | 4 | June 26, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 46 | 1 | January 21, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 40 | 9 | September 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 39 | 2 | June 27, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 31 | 4 | July 11, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 31 | 2 | November 7, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 26 | 2 | November 8, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 14 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 12 | 1 | November 8, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 12 | 2 | January 31, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 11 | 5 | September 1, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 11 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 7 | 0 | October 20, 2022 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 5 | 2 | September 1, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | January 5, 2025 |
| High Wind Warning | 3 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 1 | 0 | October 14, 2022 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 1 | 0 | December 23, 2022 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 1 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
Tornado history in Pope County
11 tornadoes have been recorded in Pope County since 1950, killing 5 people and injuring 36. That ranks 97 of 102 counties in Illinois. The most recent was on April 2, 2025 (rated EF2).
Strongest tornadoes in Pope County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | Pulaski County | 33 mi | 1,000 yd | 2 | 33 |
| April 21, 1972 | F3 | Pope County | 0.3 mi | 60 yd | 3 | 0 |
| April 28, 2002 | F3 | Pope County | 22 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 1 |
| October 18, 2004 | F2 | Johnson County | 14 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 2, 2025 | EF2 | Pope County | 12 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2, 2025 | EF2 | Pope County | 12 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 23, 2019 | EF1 | Pope County | 2.8 mi | 120 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2016 | EF0 | Pope County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 18, 2004 | F2 | Johnson County | 14 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | Pulaski County | 33 mi | 1,000 yd | 2 | 33 |
About Pope County
- Population: 3,703 (2024 estimate)
- State: Illinois
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 017151 (how to use it)