Illinois, 2000

Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 18 to 19, 2000

December 18 to 19, 2000 · NWS DVN · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Another Alberta Clipper storm system moved southeast into the plains during the early morning hours of 12/18. The storm, coupled with a strong upper-level jet, brought more significant snow to the area, beginning before sunrise in northeast Iowa, and spreading east into western Illinois through the day.

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 DVN wrote it up.

Another Alberta Clipper storm system moved southeast into the plains during the early morning hours of 12/18. The storm, coupled with a strong upper-level jet, brought more significant snow to the area, beginning before sunrise in northeast Iowa, and spreading east into western Illinois through the day. Along and north of the Interstate 80 corridor, 3 to 5 inch snowfall totals were common, with some isolated amounts near 6 inches, before the snow tapered to flurries Monday night. South of the I-80 corridor, snowfall totals generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches. A strong northwest wind raked the area Monday night in the wake of the storm. Winds of 20 to 30 miles an hour produced considerable blowing and drifting of the light, fluffy snow. Accidents were widespread across the area on 12/18 and 12/19. No serious injuries were reported by law enforcement in northwest Illinois. The strong northwest wind combined with temperatures near zero to produce wind chills values as low as 40 below zero during the evening hours of 12/18 and the early morning of 12/19.

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, Bureau

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Bureau forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.404, -89.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Carroll

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.069, -89.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hancock

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henderson

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Henderson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henry

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.353, -90.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jo Daviess

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Jo Daviess forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McDonough

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
McDonough forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.456, -90.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mercer

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Putnam

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Putnam forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.205, -89.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Rock Island

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Rock Island forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stephenson

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Stephenson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Warren

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.849, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Whiteside

When
December 18, 4:00 AM CST to December 19, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Whiteside forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.756, -89.914 (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: 5178488, 5178489, 5178490, 5178491, 5178492, 5178493, 5178494, 5178495, 5178547, 5178548, 5178549, 5178550, 5178551.