High Wind — Coles, Illinois

2026-01-08 · Coles, Illinois

Event narrative

Tree branches were blown into power lines near 11th Street in Charleston around 9:15 PM CST.

Wider weather episode

A warm front surged northward through central Illinois during the afternoon of January 8th, introducing unseasonably warm temperatures in the lower to middle 60s. As low pressure and its associated cold front approached from the west, the pressure gradient tightened sufficiently to produce southwesterly winds of 20-30mph. Gusts reached 45-55mph at times east of the I-55 corridor...with a peak measured gust of 60mph at the Coles County Airport. Due to the gusty winds, minor wind damage was reported in Mattoon-Charleston in Coles County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306641. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.