Illinois, 1996

Winter Storm in Illinois, December 16 to 17, 1996

December 16 to 17, 1996 · NWS PAH · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Rain changed to snow early in the evening. Rainwater on roadways froze to an icy glaze as 1 to 2 inches of snow fell on top of it.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Rain changed to snow early in the evening. Rainwater on roadways froze to an icy glaze as 1 to 2 inches of snow fell on top of it. Numerous vehicle accidents resulted from the hazardous road conditions.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Edwards

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Coordinates
38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wabash

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Wabash forecast zone
Coordinates
38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, White

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
White forecast zone
Coordinates
38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saline

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Saline forecast zone
Coordinates
37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gallatin

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Coordinates
37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pope

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Pope forecast zone
Coordinates
37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hardin

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Hardin forecast zone
Coordinates
37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Massac

When
December 16, 7:30 PM CST to December 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Massac forecast zone
Coordinates
37.219, -88.708 (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

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: 5581266, 5581267, 5581268, 5581269, 5581270, 5581271, 5581272, 5581273.