Winter Storm, Jefferson
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Illinois, December 16, 1996
A narrow band of heavy snow, only about 25 miles wide, extended from Carbondale northeastward through Mt. Vernon.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
A narrow band of heavy snow, only about 25 miles wide, extended from Carbondale northeastward through Mt. Vernon. Maximum totals in this band were from 5 to 7 inches, including 5 inches at Carbondale and 7 inches in northwest Hamilton County. The surprise snowstorm gave thousands of students the day off from school. Numerous vehicles slid off roads, but no injuries or major damage was reported. Local hardware stores quickly sold out of winter supplies. The storm began as rain, then changed briefly to sleet and freezing rain before turning to heavy snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Wayne
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wayne forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Perry
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Perry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Franklin
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hamilton
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jackson
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Williamson
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Williamson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Union
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Edwards
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Edwards forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Saline
- When
- December 16, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Saline forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Dense Fog in California, December 16, 1996
- High Wind in Utah, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Indiana, December 16, 1996
- Cold in Nebraska, December 16 to 19, 1996
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in Montana, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Cold in New Mexico, December 16 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Illinois in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581237, 5581238, 5581239, 5581240, 5581241, 5581242, 5581243, 5581244, 5581245, 5581246.