Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997

Name: Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997
Start: 1997-01-15T03:00
End: 1997-01-17T04:00
Location: Illinois

January 15 to 17, 1997 · NWS ILX · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

A winter storm developed over the central Rockies and moved east into the Midwest. The storm brought between 4 and 6 inches of snow to a large part of central Illinois north of I-70.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 35 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: 1
Injuries: 7
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 35

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.

A winter storm developed over the central Rockies and moved east into the Midwest. The storm brought between 4 and 6 inches of snow to a large part of central Illinois north of I-70. South of I-70 a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow occurred with snow totals of 1 to 3 inches. After the snow stopped, the winds picked up to between 20 and 30 mph with higher gusts, causing near whiteout conditions. Also, temperatures fell below zero across the entire area, so with the strong winds and cold temperatures, wind chill readings dipped well below minus 40 degrees in many locations. Numerous accidents were reported though only 6 minor injuries and one person with serious injuries was reported. A 78 year old man died of exposure after apparently trying to walk a short distance to his brother's house and his body was not discovered for over 24 hours.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Knox

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stark

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Peoria

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Peoria forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Marshall

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Woodford

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Woodford forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tazewell

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fulton

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McLean

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.491, -88.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Schuyler

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Schuyler forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mason

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Logan

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, De Witt

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: De Witt forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.175, -88.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Piatt

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Piatt forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.010, -88.591 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Champaign

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Champaign forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.140, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Vermilion

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Vermilion forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.183, -87.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cass

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Menard

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Menard forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.027, -89.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Scott

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Morgan

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sangamon

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Sangamon forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Christian

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Macon

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 39.860, -88.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Moultrie

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Moultrie forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.642, -88.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.770, -88.217 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Coles

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Coles forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.520, -88.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Edgar

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Edgar forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.679, -87.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Shelby

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cumberland

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clark

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Effingham

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Effingham forecast zone
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jasper

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.010, -88.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Crawford

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.003, -87.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.754, -88.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Richland

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.712, -88.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lawrence

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to January 17, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.720, -87.727 (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
Winter Storm, Sangamon	1997-01-16	78	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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

Every storm in Illinois in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, January 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: 5590856, 5590857, 5590858, 5590859, 5590860, 5590861, 5590862, 5590863, 5590864, 5590865, 5590866, 5590867, 5590868, 5590869, 5590870, 5590871, 5590872, 5590873, 5590874, 5590875, 5590876, 5590877, 5590878, 5590879, 5590880, 5590881, 5591066, 5591067, 5591068, 5591069, 5591070, 5591071, 5591072, 5591073, 5591074.