Illinois, 2000

Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 19 to 20, 2000

January 19 to 20, 2000 · NWS LOT · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

On the afternoon and evening of January 19th and early morning of January 20th, 4 to 9 inches of snow fell across much of northern Illinois. A narrow band of 8 to 9 inches of snow fell from southwest LaSalle County, to Dwight in northern Livingston County, to Watseka in central Iroquois County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
12

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 LOT wrote it up.

On the afternoon and evening of January 19th and early morning of January 20th, 4 to 9 inches of snow fell across much of northern Illinois. A narrow band of 8 to 9 inches of snow fell from southwest LaSalle County, to Dwight in northern Livingston County, to Watseka in central Iroquois County. Official storm totals: 5.3 inches in Rockford, 7.0 inches in Oregon, 6.0 inches in DeKalb, 6.0 inches at the Weather Service Office in Romeoville, 5.0 inches in Peru, 9.0 inches in Dwight, and 8.0 inches in Watseka.Numerous accidents were reported in Lee, La Salle, Grundy, Will, and Livingston counties. Two school bus accidents resulted in injuries. Eight children were taken to area hospitals after their bus slid off the road in Wilmington. Nine Streator elementary students had minor injuries in an accident involving their school bus and a semi-trailer. A collision in Dwight between a snowplow and a semi-trailer resulted in two injuries.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, De Kalb

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
De Kalb forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.894, -88.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ford

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Ford forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.597, -88.223 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grundy

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Grundy forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.285, -88.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Iroquois

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Iroquois forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.747, -87.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kankakee

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Kankakee forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.138, -87.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kendall

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Kendall forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.591, -88.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, La Salle

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
La Salle forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.344, -88.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lee

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Lee forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.746, -89.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Livingston

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Livingston forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.892, -88.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ogle

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Ogle forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.043, -89.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Will

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Will forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Winnebago

When
January 19, 12:00 PM CST to January 20, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.336, -89.161 (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, January 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: 5129640, 5129641, 5129642, 5129643, 5129952, 5129953, 5129954, 5129955, 5129956, 5129957, 5129958, 5129959.