Winter Storm, Jefferson
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Illinois, January 6, 1996
A moderate snowfall, averaging 3 to 4 inches, affected all of southern Illinois. Strong gusty winds piled the dry, powdery snow into waist-high drifts in some spots.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
- 14
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 moderate snowfall, averaging 3 to 4 inches, affected all of southern Illinois. Strong gusty winds piled the dry, powdery snow into waist-high drifts in some spots. This contributed to dozens of auto accidents, including a van that slid into a guard rail on Interstate 57 near Mount Vernon. Several people were injured in this mishap. A man in Benton suffered a fatal heart attack while he was shovelling snow. Five people were treated for slip-and-fall injuries, including three fractures. The deep drifts were over car roofs in open farm country of one southeast Illinois county. Several vehicles became stuck. State Highway 161 was reduced to one lane of travel in spots due to drifts.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Perry
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Perry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Franklin
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hamilton
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jackson
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Williamson
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Williamson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Saline
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Saline forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Union
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Johnson
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pope
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pope forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hardin
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hardin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Alexander
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Alexander forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pulaski
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pulaski forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Massac
- When
- January 6, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM 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
- Winter Storm in Ohio, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Blizzard in Virginia, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 6 to 7, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Virginia, January 6 to 7, 1996
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 6 to 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in Alabama, January 6 to 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in Indiana, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in Delaware, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Virginia, January 6 to 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in Virginia, January 6 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, January 6 to 7, 1996
More
Every storm in Illinois in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 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: 5542390, 5542391, 5542392, 5542393, 5542394, 5542395, 5542396, 5542397, 5542398, 5542399, 5542400, 5542401, 5542402, 5542403.