Illinois, 1997

Winter Storm in Illinois, December 24, 1997

December 24, 1997 · NWS LSX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Snowfall of 3 to 6 inches fell across parts of West Central Illinois the day before Christmas, much to the delight of area children. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, thus most area roads remained in decent shape.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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 LSX wrote it up.

Snowfall of 3 to 6 inches fell across parts of West Central Illinois the day before Christmas, much to the delight of area children. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, thus most area roads remained in decent shape.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Adams

When
December 24, 10:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Coordinates
39.988, -91.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brown

When
December 24, 10:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Coordinates
39.962, -90.750 (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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 1997

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: 5625703, 5625704.