Dense Fog in Illinois, January 30, 1998

Name: Dense Fog in Illinois, January 30, 1998
Start: 1998-01-30T02:00
End: 1998-01-30T09:00
Location: Illinois

January 30, 1998 · NWS PAH · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Widespread dense fog caused travel difficulties during the early morning hours. Illinois State Police reported visibility as low as two car lengths near Metropolis in Massac County.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 PAH wrote it up.

Widespread dense fog caused travel difficulties during the early morning hours. Illinois State Police reported visibility as low as two car lengths near Metropolis in Massac County.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Alexander

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Alexander forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Edwards

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Edwards forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Franklin

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Gallatin

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Hamilton

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Hardin

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Jackson

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Jefferson

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Johnson

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Massac

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Massac forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Perry

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pope

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pulaski

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Saline

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Union

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Wabash

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Wabash forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Wayne

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, White

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Williamson

When: January 30, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Williamson forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dense Fog: Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, January 1998

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5629120, 5629121, 5629122, 5629123, 5629124, 5629125, 5629126, 5629127, 5629128, 5629296, 5629297, 5629298, 5629299, 5629300, 5629301, 5629302, 5629303, 5629304, 5629305.