Illinois, 1997

Winter Storm in Illinois, January 24, 1997

January 24, 1997 · NWS ILX · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

A winter storm developed over the central Rockies and moved into southern Illinois on the 24th. Central Illinois received a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow with the system which caused numerous accidents though no injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
19

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 into southern Illinois on the 24th. Central Illinois received a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow with the system which caused numerous accidents though no injuries were reported. Snow amounts were on the light side, up to 2 inches. However, some scattered areas in west central Illinois reported up to half an inch of ice accumulation.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Knox

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Stark

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Coordinates
41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Peoria

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Peoria forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Marshall

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates
41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Woodford

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Woodford forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fulton

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Tazewell

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates
40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McLean

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
McLean forecast zone
Coordinates
40.491, -88.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Schuyler

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Mason

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Logan

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Logan forecast zone
Coordinates
40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, De Witt

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
De Witt forecast zone
Coordinates
40.175, -88.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cass

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Menard

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Scott

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Morgan

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Sangamon

When
January 24, 7:00 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)

Winter Storm, Christian

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Christian forecast zone
Coordinates
39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Macon

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Macon forecast zone
Coordinates
39.860, -88.962 (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

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5591075, 5591076, 5591077, 5591078, 5591079, 5591080, 5591081, 5591082, 5591083, 5591084, 5591085, 5591086, 5591087, 5591088, 5591089, 5591090, 5591091, 5591092, 5591093.