An area of low pressure tracking northeastward across Iowa pushed a cold front into central Illinois during the afternoon of January 3rd.  The arimass ahead of the front became moderately unstable thanks to surface temperatures climbing into the lower to middle 60s and dewpoints hovering near 60 degrees.  Given the instability and increasing amounts of deep-layer wind shear in association with a strong upper low approaching from the west, scattered supercell thunderstorms developed along the front during the afternoon.  The storms were primarily focused in a corridor from Springfield and Taylorville northeastward to near Champaign.  A total of 8 short-lived weak tornadoes touched down within this corridor, with the strongest tornadoes producing EF-1 damage near Maroa and in the Decatur area.

Tornado in MACON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 16:33:00 to 03-JAN-23 16:34:00 (CST-6)
Location: MAROA
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A tornado briefly touched down 3 miles southwest of Maroa along Bearsdale Road just north of School Road at 4:33 PM CST.  A power pole and irrigation unit were damaged.

Tornado in LOGAN, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 16:05:00 to 03-JAN-23 16:06:00 (CST-6)
Location: LATHAM
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field about 3 miles southwest of Lathan at 4:05 PM CST.  No damage occurred.

Tornado in CHRISTIAN, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 17:05:00 to 03-JAN-23 17:06:00 (CST-6)
Location: OSBERNVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Law enforcement reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field about 3 miles east-northeast of Mt, Auburn at 5:05 PM CST.  No damage occurred.

Tornado in SANGAMON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 15:52:00 to 03-JAN-23 15:53:00 (CST-6)
Location: LANESVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field about 2 miles west-northwest of Illiopolis at 3:52 PM CST.  No damage occurred.

Tornado in MACON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 16:35:00 to 03-JAN-23 16:38:00 (CST-6)
Location: MAROA
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down just west of the intersection of US-51 and Washington Street west of Maroa at 4:35 PM CST.  The tornado destroyed a barn and tossed the remains of a grain bin across the highway.  A fence was also destroyed just east of US-51 near the end of North Sycamore Street.  The tornado dissipated just southwest of the Fourwinds RV dealership about 1 mile north-northwest of Maroa at 4:38 PM CST.

Tornado in MACON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 18:05:00 to 03-JAN-23 18:08:00 (CST-6)
Location: SANGAMON
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down in a parking lot on the northeast side of Decatur at 6:05 PM CST.  It tracked northeastward through the southern and eastern parts of Richland Community College doing minor damage.  The tornado downed several trees, damaged a fence, and moved around multiple car parts on the north side of a building.  It continued northeastward, damaging several cedar trees on Christmas Tree Road before lifting just northeast of there in a forested area at 6:08 PM CST.

Hail in DE WITT, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 17:17:00 to 03-JAN-23 17:22:00 (CST-6)
Location: FARMER CITY
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in MCLEAN, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 17:34:00 to 03-JAN-23 17:39:00 (CST-6)
Location: (BMI)BLOOMNGTN/NORMA
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Tornado in MCLEAN, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 17:38:00 to 03-JAN-23 17:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: TROSTER
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down just southwest of a farmstead about 3 miles southeast of Bellflower at 5:38 PM CST.  The tornado moved northeastward, destroying a farm outbuilding and splattering dirt and grass on the east-facing side of a house.  Debris from the outbuilding was blown northeast for about one quarter of a mile.  The homeowner watched the tornado cross North 4100 East Road southwest of their property.  The tornado dissipated 3 miles east-southeast of Bellflower at 5:42 PM CST.

Hail in DE WITT, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 17:07:00 to 03-JAN-23 17:12:00 (CST-6)
Location: PARNELL
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Hail in SANGAMON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 16:05:00 to 03-JAN-23 16:09:00 (CST-6)
Location: PAWNEE
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Tornado in MACON, ILLINOIS
From 03-JAN-23 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-23 18:01:00 (CST-6)
Location: DECATUR
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down on the northeast side of Decatur at 6:00 PM CST.  The tornado tracked northeastward, causing damage to an abandoned bowling alley on North 22nd Street.  Several of the wall panels on the southeast side of the building were removed and blown to the northeast.  A trained spotter watched the tornado cross 22nd Street before lifting at 6:01 PM CST.