Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8 to 9, 1997

Name: Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8 to 9, 1997
Start: 1997-01-08T21:00
End: 1997-01-09T13:00
Location: Illinois

January 8 to 9, 1997 · NWS ILX · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

A winter storm developed over the southern Plains and tracked to the northeast across southern Illinois. The storm dumped between 3 and 11 inches of snow over central Illinois.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 6
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 southern Plains and tracked to the northeast across southern Illinois. The storm dumped between 3 and 11 inches of snow over central Illinois. The heaviest snow fell in a corridor just north of I-70. Charleston in Coles County reported the most snow with 11 inches. Numerous accidents were reported throughout central Illinois. However, only 6 minor injuries were reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Knox

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stark

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Peoria

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Peoria forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marshall

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woodford

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Woodford forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Fulton

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tazewell

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McLean

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.491, -88.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Schuyler

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Schuyler forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mason

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Logan

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, De Witt

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: De Witt forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.175, -88.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Piatt

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Piatt forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.010, -88.591 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Champaign

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Champaign forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.140, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Vermilion

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Vermilion forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.183, -87.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cass

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Menard

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Menard forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.027, -89.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Scott

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Morgan

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sangamon

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Sangamon forecast zone
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Christian

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Macon

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.860, -88.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Moultrie

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Moultrie forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.642, -88.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Douglas

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.770, -88.217 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Coles

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Coles forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.520, -88.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Edgar

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Edgar forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.679, -87.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Shelby

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cumberland

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clark

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Effingham

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Effingham forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jasper

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.010, -88.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Crawford

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.003, -87.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clay

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.754, -88.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Richland

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.712, -88.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lawrence

When: January 8, 9:00 PM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.720, -87.727 (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

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: 5590821, 5590822, 5590823, 5590824, 5590825, 5590826, 5590827, 5590828, 5590829, 5590830, 5590831, 5590832, 5590833, 5590834, 5590835, 5590836, 5590837, 5590838, 5590839, 5590840, 5590841, 5590842, 5590843, 5590844, 5590845, 5590846, 5590847, 5590848, 5590849, 5590850, 5590851, 5590852, 5590853, 5590854, 5590855.