Union County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Union County, IL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 884 alerts that included Union County, roughly 88 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (174 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on March 16, 2026. 23 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 Union County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Perry County, Pulaski County, Williamson County, Alexander County.
Union County alert history
Alert events that included Union County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 174 | 16 | August 20, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 86 | 3 | February 16, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 66 | 6 | June 17, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 64 | 9 | August 20, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 62 | 5 | August 20, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 57 | 4 | June 26, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 49 | 3 | July 11, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 48 | 10 | September 15, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 45 | 1 | January 21, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 43 | 5 | July 11, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 33 | 7 | July 11, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 27 | 1 | October 18, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 26 | 3 | November 8, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 20 | 3 | March 16, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 14 | 1 | November 8, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 13 | 5 | September 1, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 13 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 13 | 2 | January 31, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 12 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 9 | 1 | March 29, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 5 | 2 | September 1, 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 |
| High Wind Warning | 1 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | January 5, 2025 |
Tornado history in Union County
23 tornadoes have been recorded in Union County since 1950, killing 1 people and injuring 23. That ranks 64 of 102 counties in Illinois. The most recent was on May 20, 2025 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Union County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 28, 2002 | F3 | Union County | 19.3 mi | 400 yd | 1 | 10 |
| May 21, 1957 | F3 | Union County | 8.5 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 14, 1972 | F2 | Union County | 30.9 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 9 |
| October 18, 2004 | F2 | Union County | 8.8 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 3 |
| January 21, 1999 | F2 | Alexander County | 8 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 | EF1 | Union County | 1.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 2, 2025 | EF0 | Union County | 1.1 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 2, 2025 | EF1 | Union County | 10 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF1 | Union County | 6.9 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| January 11, 2020 | EF1 | Union County | 0.9 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Union County
- Population: 16,886 (2024 estimate)
- State: Illinois
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 017181 (how to use it)