Illinois, 1998

Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8, 1998

January 8, 1998 · NWS ILX · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Rain across Central Illinois quickly changed over to snow northwest of a line from Springfield to Bloomington during the early morning hours. Heavy snow amounts occurred across these areas before ending by early evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
13

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.

Rain across Central Illinois quickly changed over to snow northwest of a line from Springfield to Bloomington during the early morning hours. Heavy snow amounts occurred across these areas before ending by early evening. Snowfall amounts of greater than 3 inches occurred in these areas. the heaviest snow occurred along and northwest of the Illinois River with total snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches. Numerous traffic accidents were noted but no serious 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

13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Knox

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Coordinates
40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Fulton

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Fulton forecast zone
Coordinates
40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Schuyler

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Schuyler forecast zone
Coordinates
40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stark

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Coordinates
41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marshall

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates
41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Peoria

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Peoria forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tazewell

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates
40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woodford

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Woodford forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mason

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Mason forecast zone
Coordinates
40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cass

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Scott

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 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, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates
39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Menard

When
January 8, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Menard forecast zone
Coordinates
40.027, -89.802 (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

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5629871, 5629872, 5629873, 5629874, 5629875, 5629876, 5629877, 5629878, 5629879, 5629880, 5629881, 5629882, 5629883.