Heavy Snow, Knox
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Knox forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 30, 1997
About a 70 mile wide band of heavy snow, southwest of a Galesburg to Springfield to Effingham line, occurred. Snow amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches with the heaviest occurring in a line from Rushville to south of Springfield.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
- 3
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 13
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 ILX wrote it up.
About a 70 mile wide band of heavy snow, southwest of a Galesburg to Springfield to Effingham line, occurred. Snow amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches with the heaviest occurring in a line from Rushville to south of Springfield. Numerous traffic accidents were reported resulting from slick roadways. 3 deaths were attributed to the slippery roads as they lost control of their vehicles. Otherwise no other serious injuries were reported.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Fulton
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Fulton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Schuyler
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Schuyler forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Mason
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mason forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Cass
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Menard
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Menard forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.027, -89.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Scott
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Scott forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Morgan
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Morgan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Sangamon
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sangamon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Christian
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Christian forecast zone
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Shelby
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Shelby forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Effingham
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Effingham forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Clay
- When
- December 30, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.754, -88.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow, Christian | 1997-12-30 | 57 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Heavy Snow, Christian | 1997-12-30 | 5 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Heavy Snow, Effingham | 1997-12-30 | 68 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 30, 1997
- High Wind in Nebraska, December 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in Tennessee, December 30 to 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 30 to 31, 1997
- High Wind in South Dakota, December 30, 1997
- Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 30 to 31, 1997
- Winter Weather in Illinois, December 30, 1997
- Winter Weather in South Carolina, December 30 to 31, 1997
- High Wind in Kansas, December 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, December 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in Virginia, December 30 to 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, December 30, 1997
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: 5625042, 5625043, 5625044, 5625045, 5625046, 5625047, 5625048, 5625049, 5625050, 5625051, 5625052, 5625053, 5625054.