Illinois, 1997

Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 9 to 10, 1997

December 9 to 10, 1997 · NWS DVN · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A strong winter storm dumped heavy snow over portions of Southeast Iowa and West Central Illinois resulting in numerous school closures and minor accidents. Most locations received from 3 to 6 inches of snow with isolated heavier amounts up to 8 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 DVN wrote it up.

A strong winter storm dumped heavy snow over portions of Southeast Iowa and West Central Illinois resulting in numerous school closures and minor accidents. Most locations received from 3 to 6 inches of snow with isolated heavier amounts up to 8 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Bureau

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Bureau forecast zone
Coordinates
41.404, -89.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hancock

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Coordinates
40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henderson

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Henderson forecast zone
Coordinates
40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henry

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Coordinates
41.353, -90.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McDonough

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
McDonough forecast zone
Coordinates
40.456, -90.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mercer

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Coordinates
41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Putnam

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Putnam forecast zone
Coordinates
41.205, -89.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Rock Island

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Rock Island forecast zone
Coordinates
41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Warren

When
December 9, 5:00 PM CST to December 10, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Coordinates
40.849, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

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: 5621916, 5621917, 5621918, 5621919, 5621920, 5621921, 5621922, 5621923, 5621924.