Illinois, 1997Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 16, 1997
January 15 to 16, 1997 · NWS LSX · 16 events in 16 counties and zones
Freezing rain and sleet began falling late on the night of the 15th coating the area with a layer of ice by the morning rush. Numerous auto accidents occurred along with some power outages, and most area school were closed.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 16
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.
Freezing rain and sleet began falling late on the night of the 15th coating the area with a layer of ice by the morning rush. Numerous auto accidents occurred along with some power outages, and most area school were closed. Snow began by mid-morning of the 16th with 3 to 7 inches covering the area.
Winter Storm, Greene
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Greene forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.356, -90.390 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Macoupin
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Macoupin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.261, -89.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Montgomery
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.231, -89.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Bond
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Bond forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.887, -89.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Fayette
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Fayette forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.000, -89.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Clinton
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.607, -89.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Marion
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Marion forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.650, -88.919 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Washington
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.352, -89.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Adams
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Adams forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.988, -91.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Brown
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Brown forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.962, -90.750 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pike
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pike forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.623, -90.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Calhoun
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Calhoun forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.169, -90.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jersey
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jersey forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.086, -90.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Madison
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.830, -89.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, St. Clair
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- St. Clair forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.470, -89.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Monroe
- When
- January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Monroe forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.279, -90.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 18, 19975 deaths · 18 events
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 19972 deaths · 10 injured · $6.3 million · 7 events
- Cold in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 19972 deaths · 2 injured · 24 events
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 19971 death · 7 injured · 35 events
- Cold in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997$750,000 · 51 events
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 19971 injured · $51,000 · F2 · 1 event
- Tornado in Mississippi, January 15, 19972 injured · $100,000 · F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997$100,000 · F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 19973 injured · $30,000 · F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997$50,000 · F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997$50,000 · F1 · 1 event
- High Wind in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997$100,000 · 54 kt wind · 5 events
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586045, 5586046, 5586047, 5586048, 5586049, 5586050, 5586051, 5586052, 5586196, 5586197, 5586198, 5586199, 5586200, 5586201, 5586202, 5586203.