Illinois, 2000

Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 16, 2000

December 16, 2000 · NWS PAH · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A mix of very light rain and snow during the afternoon changed to a steady snow early in the evening. The snow accumulated anywhere from 1 to 3 inches across southern Illinois, with 2-inch plus amounts confined to counties bordering the Wabash River.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

A mix of very light rain and snow during the afternoon changed to a steady snow early in the evening. The snow accumulated anywhere from 1 to 3 inches across southern Illinois, with 2-inch plus amounts confined to counties bordering the Wabash River. The snow ended by midnight. Due to frigid temperatures which hampered snow removal, the accumulations were enough to keep some schools closed, especially in rural counties with poor snow removal abilities. The snow was caused by a strong upper level disturbance that tracked southeast to the Missouri Bootheel, then east along the Tennessee/Kentucky border.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Edwards

When
December 16, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gallatin

When
December 16, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wabash

When
December 16, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Wabash forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, White

When
December 16, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
White forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.088, -88.180 (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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2000

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: 5166329, 5166330, 5166331, 5166332.