Winter Storm, Wayne
- When
- March 19, 10:00 AM CST to March 20, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wayne forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Illinois, March 19 to 20, 1996
Between 6 and 12 inches of heavy wet snow fell in extreme southeast Illinois near the Indiana border. The worst conditions occurred in Wabash, Wayne, and Edwards Counties, where nearly a foot of snow was blown into drifts up to 6 feet deep.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 5
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.
Between 6 and 12 inches of heavy wet snow fell in extreme southeast Illinois near the Indiana border. The worst conditions occurred in Wabash, Wayne, and Edwards Counties, where nearly a foot of snow was blown into drifts up to 6 feet deep. Many roads, especially county roads, either drifted shut or were blocked by abandoned vehicles. Snow removal equipment such as road graders became stuck in a few cases. The American Red Cross set up shelters for snowbound residents and motorists. About eight motorists spent several hours stranded in deep snowdrifts on Route 1 near Mt. Carmel.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Edwards
- When
- March 19, 10:00 AM CST to March 20, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Edwards forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Wabash
- When
- March 19, 10:00 AM CST to March 20, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wabash forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, White
- When
- March 19, 10:00 AM CST to March 20, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- White forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Gallatin
- When
- March 19, 10:00 AM CST to March 20, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Gallatin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.763, -88.230 (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, March 19 to 21, 1996
- Winter Storm in Illinois, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, March 19 to 21, 1996
- High Wind in Maryland, March 19, 1996
- High Wind in New York, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in New York, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in Vermont, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in New Jersey, March 19, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, March 19, 1996
More
Every storm in Illinois in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, March 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: 5546919, 5546920, 5546921, 5546922, 5546923.