Winter Storm, Jo Daviess
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jo Daviess forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Illinois, February 3 to 4, 1997
A wintery mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and heavy wet snow was accompanied by a few reports of lightning. Two-to-five inches of snow fell across the area with the heaviest snows across extreme northwest Illinois.
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
- 0
- 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 DVN wrote it up.
A wintery mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and heavy wet snow was accompanied by a few reports of lightning. Two-to-five inches of snow fell across the area with the heaviest snows across extreme northwest Illinois. Lesser snow accumulations to the south were the result of mixed sleet and rain. The slick roads caused school delays and numberous accidents.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Stephenson
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Stephenson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Carroll
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.069, -89.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Whiteside
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Whiteside forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.756, -89.914 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Rock Island
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Rock Island forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Henry
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Henry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.353, -90.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Bureau
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Bureau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.404, -89.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Putnam
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Putnam forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.205, -89.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Mercer
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Henderson
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Warren
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.849, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hancock
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hancock forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, McDonough
- When
- February 3, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.456, -90.678 (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
- Flash Flood in California, February 3, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Tennessee, February 3, 1997
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Storm in South Dakota, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Storm in Iowa, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, February 3 to 4, 1997
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, February 3 to 4, 1997
More
Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 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: 5589241, 5589242, 5589243, 5589244, 5589245, 5589246, 5589247, 5589248, 5589249, 5589250, 5589251, 5589252, 5589253.