Illinois, 2000

Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 28 to 29, 2000

December 28 to 29, 2000 · NWS DVN · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

An unusually strong Alberta Clipper storm tracked southeast through Iowa into central Illinois and spread some locally heavy snow over parts of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The snow began in east central Iowa during the mid-morning on December 28th, then spread eastward into western Illinois during the afternoon.

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.

An unusually strong Alberta Clipper storm tracked southeast through Iowa into central Illinois and spread some locally heavy snow over parts of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The snow began in east central Iowa during the mid-morning on December 28th, then spread eastward into western Illinois during the afternoon. West of the Mississippi River, much of the snow ended before dawn on the 29th, but snow on the back side of the system persisted during the morning hours along and east of the river. Storm total snowfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches were common across northwest Illinois, with lesser amounts of 3 to 5 inches in west central Illinois Area law enforcement handled numerous weather-related accidents across the area. A two-vehicle accident in Mercer county during the afternoon of the 29th killed one person and injured two others.

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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 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: 5177810, 5177811, 5177812, 5177813, 5177814, 5177815, 5177816, 5177817, 5177818, 5177819, 5177820, 5177821, 5177822.