Stephenson County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Stephenson County, IL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 827 alerts that included Stephenson County, roughly 83 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (129 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 3, 2026. 21 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 Stephenson County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Winnebago County, Ogle County, Jo Daviess County, Lafayette County.
Stephenson County alert history
Alert events that included Stephenson County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 129 | 25 | August 21, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 101 | 5 | August 13, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 98 | 3 | March 16, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 65 | 10 | August 21, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 60 | 3 | March 13, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 42 | 3 | January 26, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 40 | 5 | September 19, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 32 | 3 | May 11, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 32 | 2 | April 18, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 30 | 3 | August 31, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 29 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 24 | 6 | June 11, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 24 | 0 | November 29, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 23 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 20 | 4 | September 19, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 12 | 9 | July 3, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 12 | 1 | February 18, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 10 | 1 | October 17, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 8 | 2 | July 26, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 7 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 7 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 6 | 2 | July 27, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 4 | 0 | December 15, 2021 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 4 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 2 | 0 | February 22, 2023 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 2 | 0 | February 19, 2022 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 2 | 1 | February 18, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 1 | 0 | January 22, 2018 |
| Blizzard Warning | 1 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
Tornado history in Stephenson County
21 tornadoes have been recorded in Stephenson County since 1950, killing 1 people and injuring 0. That ranks 68 of 102 counties in Illinois. The most recent was on July 15, 2024 (rated unknown).
Strongest tornadoes in Stephenson County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 8, 1958 | F2 | Stephenson County | 81 mi | 10 yd | 1 | 0 |
| July 15, 2024 | EF2 | Jo Daviess County | 15.4 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 31, 2023 | EF1 | Carroll County | 11 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 16, 2017 | EF1 | Stephenson County | 2.8 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 17, 1959 | F1 | Stephenson County | 2 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 15, 2024 | ? | Stephenson County | 1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 15, 2024 | EF2 | Jo Daviess County | 15.4 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 4, 2024 | ? | Stephenson County | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 31, 2023 | EF1 | Carroll County | 11 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2022 | EF1 | Stephenson County | 1.8 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Stephenson County
- Population: 43,088 (2024 estimate)
- State: Illinois
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 017177 (how to use it)