Severe thunderstorms moved across the Pana area during the evening hours of March 19, 2025.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a Level 3/5 Enhanced Risk for the Pana area due to the threat of damaging winds and tornadoes, including a few strong ones.
As clouds broke and the sun emerged, instability increased, and dew points rose into the mid-50s by the afternoon.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for the entire Pana area just before 12:30 PM. The combination of cold air aloft, rising dew points, and strong low-level shear set the stage for a potential severe weather event across much of Central Illinois.
A few rounds of storms moved through the Pana area in the afternoon but remained below severe limits. A line of storms developed south and west of the Pana area around 5:20 PM. These storms had the potential to produce strong winds and small hail. The NWS issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Pana at 5:45 PM for winds up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.
While no storm damage was reported in the Pana area, several reports of pea-sized hail were recorded.
Although a few storms produced tornadoes to the north and east, the event overall failed to reach its full potential in Central Illinois.
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