A major winter storm moved through the Midwest from late on November 29th into December 1st. Freezing rain moved into west central and central Illinois in the late hours of November 29th.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.
A major winter storm moved through the Midwest from late on November 29th into December 1st. Freezing rain moved into west central and central Illinois in the late hours of November 29th. The freezing rain mixed with and changed to heavy sleet, which persisted for 6 to 8 hours during the evening hours of November 30th. Ice accumulations ranged from 0.25 to 1.50 inches across much of central Illinois, with heavy sleet accumulations ranging from 0.50 to 2.20 inches. The precipitation changed over to snow across west central Illinois by the evening hours on November 30th and during the overnight hours across central Illinois. Snow accumulations along and west of the Illinois River valley ranged from 8 to 15 inches. Further east, 3 to 8 inches of snow was reported on top of the significant ice and sleet accumulations.|Considerable tree and power line damage was caused by the ice and heavy snow, especially across central Illinois. The power was not restored across some locales for several days. The snow and ice covered roads also resulted in numerous vehicular accidents. 22 counties in the Central Illinois National Weather Service Forecast Area were designated a state disaster area and 18 counties were designated a federal disaster area.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 29, 10:34 AM CST, 11 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1034 AM CST WED NOV 29 2006 .DISCUSSION... 16Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS. WINDS HAVE SWITCHED TO NORTHWESTERLY AT BOTH MACOMB AND GALESBURG...WITH TEMPS DROPPING INTO THE 40S. FURTHER EAST...UNSEASONABLY WARM AIRMASS STILL IN PLACE ACROSS THE REST OF THE KILX CWA...WITH TEMPS MAINLY IN THE MIDDLE 60S. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO TRACK ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS THE ILLINOIS RIVER. STRONGER STORMS ARE NOTED FURTHER SOUTHWEST ALONG THE BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI AND THESE STORMS SHOULD REACH THE FAR W/SW CWA SHORTLY AFTER 11AM...THEN SPREAD UP THE ILLINOIS RIVER INTO THE AFTERNOON. INSTABILITY IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED...HOWEVER IMPRESSIVE WIND FIELDS AND STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES...SUGGEST THE APPROACHING STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. WITH FRONT REMAINING NEARLY STATIONARY UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THE BULK OF THE SHOWERS/STORMS WILL REMAIN ALONG AND WEST OF I-55. HAVE THEREFORE BUMPED POPS UP CONSIDERABLY ACROSS THESE AREAS. HAVE ALSO ADJUSTED TEMP GRIDS A BIT...FEATURING NEARLY STEADY TEMPS ACROSS THE FAR W/NW...WITH HIGHS CLIMBING INTO THE UPPER 60S ELSEWHERE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... SAME FORECAST ISSUES REMAIN...ONGOING PRECIP AHEAD OF AND ALONG A COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY THIS MORNING. SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE FLOW AS A MAJOR TROF DIGS IN OVER THE ROCKIES. COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHED FROM NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...ALONG THE MISS RIVER VALLEY BACK THRU NWRN MO AND INTO SERN KS. SHOWERY PRECIP ACROSS THE NWRN PORTIONS OF THE STATE IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS EMBEDDED WAVES MOVE THROUGH THE SWRLY FLOW ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. GFS AND 06Z NAM STARTING TO COME INTO AGREEMENT THIS MORNING ABOUT THE TRACK OF THE SFC LOW. ECMWF STILL SIGNIFICANTLY LACKING IN SFC LOW STRENGTH. CANADIAN GLOBAL STICKING TO ITS PREVIOUS FORECASTS. NOT A LOT OF CHANGES TO THE FORECAST AS A RESULT. WWD HAS CHANGED WITH THE FORECAST OF THE LOCATION OF THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WITH THE SHIFT OF THE SYSTEMS TO THE SE. CENTRAL FA IS MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED IN LATEST RUN. FROM THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY SEWD TO INTERSTATE 57 COULD SEE APPRECIABLE SNOW FALL TOTALS THU EVENING AND NIGHT. AVOIDING HEADLINES AT THIS POINT TO AVOID A LOT OF OSCILLATION. LAST NIGHT...HEAVIEST SNOW FALL WAS IN THE NW...TODAY IN THE SE...THIS MORNING...ITS IN THE MIDDLE AND THE PENDULUM SEEMS TO BE ZEROING IN ON A TARGET. LET THE DAY SHIFT HAVE ONE MORE RUN AND ISSUE THE HEADLINES WITH BETTER ACCURACY. MAJOR SHIFT TO THE FORECAST IS TO SHIFT THE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE CENTRAL ZONES...KEEPING ICE IN THE NW...BUT ALSO THE LOWER POPS WELL BEHIND THE FRONT. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... MODELS ARE NOT RESPONDING TO THE MORE RAPID PACE OF THE FRONT FROM YESTERDAY EVENING. WITH THE FRONT IN SLIGHTLY MORE PARALLEL FLOW...A SLOWING TREND IS LIKELY...THOUGH SHORT TERM WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE AFFECTS ON THE DETAILS. AS IT IS...WITH OVERNIGHT TEMPS STILL IN THE LOW 60S AND UPPER 50S...HAVE GONE WITH A LESS THAN DIURNAL TREND IN THE HOURLY TEMPS THROUGHOUT TODAY. THEN THE TEMPS START TO DROP OFF FROM THE NW TO THE SE IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. SPC HAS PAINTED A SLIGHT RISK OVER ALMOST THE ENTIRE CWA TODAY...SPARING ONLY THE FAR EASTERN COUNTIES. FROPA IS LIKELY WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND WARM TEMPS STILL IN PLACE...THOUGH IN THE OVERNIGHT AND EVENING HOURS TONIGHT. THOUGH FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW WEAK INSTABILITY...COLD FRONT IS VERY STRONG AND INCREASINGLY STRONG UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR WILL LEND ITSELF TO THE POSSIBILITY OF HAIL AND SVR WINDS SHOULD THE THUNDERSTORMS ORGANIZE. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... CHANCES FOR PRECIP WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON THURSDAY. H5 TROF AND SFC LOW HANGING BACK A BIT UNTIL THURSDAY/THU NIGHT AS IT MOVES IN. WILL SEE A SWITCH TO WINTER PRECIP AS THURSDAY PROGRESSES AND THE COLDER AIR EDGES IN FROM THE NW. DEVELOPING SFC LOW IS MODELED TO RIDE UP THE COLD FRONT AT THE SFC. THURSDAY NIGHT...THE H5 TROF MOVES OVER THE REGION...INTO A NEGATIVE TILT. OR AT LEAST...THE PAST FEW RUNS HAVE HINTED AT THIS. LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS AND NAM RAPIDLY DEVELOP THE SFC CYCLONE PRIOR TO THE NEGATIVE TILT OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF. IN CONTRAST...THE ECMWF DOES NOT RAPIDLY DEVELOP THE SFC CYCLONE UNTIL A MORE NEG TILT...BUT WELL OFF TO THE NE. THE VERY CONSISTENT (THOUGH ONCE AGAIN THE OUTLIER) CANADIAN KEEPS THE WAVE WELL TO THE SOUTH AND EAST...RIDING UP THE FRONT WHEN THE WEATHER IS WELL OUT OF THE AREA. KEEPING THE GOING FORECAST WHICH IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE BLEND OF ECMWF AND GFS. REMAINING FORECAST DRY AT THIS POINT...THOUGH BEGINNING TO SHOW A SIGNAL OF POSSIBLE PRECIP FOR THE NRN TIER OF ILLINOIS LATE IN THE WEEKEND AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROF MOVES THROUGH...WITH A REINFORCING...ALBEIT BRIEF SHOT OF COLD AIR. HAVE DROPPED TEMPS SUN NIGHT AND MON SLIGHTLY OFF OF GUIDANCE AS A RESULT. YET ANOTHER TROF FORECAST FOR TUESDAY WITH A LITTLE MORE LAYER RH COULD RESULT IN POPS BEING ADDED NEXT RUN. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && BARNES/HJS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ILZ031-037-038-041-042-047>051-301200- CASS-LOGAN-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON-SCOTT-TAZEWELL- WOODFORD- 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 12 PM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE REGION BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET TOWARD MIDDAY THURSDAY. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BY EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT...THEN WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. ILZ027>030-036-040-301200- FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-STARK- 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM THURSDAY TO 12 PM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE REGION BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THURSDAY MORNING. ICY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE...WITH MIXED PRECIPITATION CONTINUING INTO THE AFTERNOON. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BY EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT...THEN WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. ILZ043>046-052>057-061-301200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MOULTRIE- PIATT-SHELBY-VERMILION- 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE REGION BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THURSDAY EVENING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BY FRIDAY MORNING WHEN THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO ALL SNOW. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MIDDAY FRIDAY...WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. STAY TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. ILZ062-063-301200- CLARK-CUMBERLAND- 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE REGION BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THURSDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BY FRIDAY MORNING WHEN THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO ALL SNOW. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MIDDAY FRIDAY...WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. STAY TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. ILZ066>068-071>073-301200- CLAY-CRAWFORD-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 336 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE REGION BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THURSDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BY FRIDAY MORNING WHEN THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO ALL SNOW. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MIDDAY FRIDAY...WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. STAY TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. BARNES
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Declared a state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 12 to 14 inches.
Declared a state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches.
Declared a state disaster area. Snow accumulation of 8 to 10 inches.
Designated state and federal disaster area. 8 to 12 inches of snow fell on top of significant sleet accumulation.
Declared a state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches.
Declared a state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 12 to 14 inches.
Declared state disaster area. 6 to 10 inches of snow fell on top of a significant accumulation of ice.
Designated state and federal disaster area. 5 to 15 inches of snow fell on top of significant icing.|
Designated state and national disaster area. 6 to 12 inches of snow fell on top of significant ice accumulation.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. 6 to 12 inches of snow fell on top of significant ice accumulation.|
Declared a state disaster area. Snow accumulation of 7 to 9 inches.
Declared a state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 8 to 10 inches.
Designated state and federal disaster area. 3 to 5 inches of snow fell on top of significant icing.|
Designated state disaster area. 5 to 8 inches of snow fell on top of significant icing.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. Around 3 inches of snow fell on top of 1 to 2 inches of ice.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. 3 to 5 inches of snow fell on top of 1 to 2 inches of ice.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. 5 to 7 inches of snow fell on top of significant ice accumulation.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. Around 3 inches of snow fell on top of 1 to 2 inches of ice.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. 3 to 5 inches of snow fell on top of 1 to 2 inches of ice.|
Around an inch of snow fell on top of significant icing.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. Around 2 inches of snow fell on top of significant ice accumulation.|
Designated state and federal disaster area. Around an inch of snow fell on top of significant ice accumulation.|
Declared state disaster area. 1 to 2 inches of snow fell on top of a significant accumulation of ice over western sections of the county.|
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, November 2006
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: 5074, 5075, 5082, 5020, 5078, 5183, 5055, 5010, 5053, 5054, 5081, 5085, 5011, 5012, 5006, 5008, 5051, 5007, 5009, 5013, 5033, 5052, 5056.