A storm system spread a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across central Illinois on December 23rd. The precipitation was on the light side: however, locations along and south of I-72 reported a thin glaze of ice from the freezing rain.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 storm system spread a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across central Illinois on December 23rd. The precipitation was on the light side: however, locations along and south of I-72 reported a thin glaze of ice from the freezing rain.
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 Dec 22, 11:53 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1153 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 900 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 WILL BE MAKING SOME MINOR CHANGES TO TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT AS READINGS IN SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS HAVE ALREADY CLIMBED INTO THE 15-20 RANGE. A CONTINUATION OF LOW LEVEL TEMPERATURE ADVECTION WILL KEEP TEMPS SLOWLY RISING THROUGH THE NIGHT AS SOUTH WINDS INCREASE. THE ILX 00Z SOUNDING INDICATED A LARGE LAYER OF DRY AIR BELOW 650 MB. THIS WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR THE SHORTWAVE ENTERING NCENT MO AND ITS ASSOCIATED NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SNOW TO OVERCOME. WILL KEEP THE LOW CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL IL SINCE A FEW FLURRIES MAY EVENTUALLY WORK THEIR WAY DOWN. THE BEST CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW OVERNIGHT WILL BE IN AREAS NORTHWEST OF THE IL RIVER WHERE LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY TOWARDS DAYBREAK. && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1152 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES IS MOVING INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS AROUND MIDNIGHT. A COUPLE OF NARROW BANDS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL ACCOMPANY THIS LEAD SHORTWAVE BETWEEN 06Z AND 10Z. SOME OF THE SNOW BANDS WILL ALSO HAVE MVFR CIGS AND VSBY FOR A SHORT TIME...SO HANDLED THIS WITH BRIEF TEMPO GROUPS IN MOST OF THE TAFS. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE WILL APPROACH THE AREA BY MID-MORNING BRINGING THE NEXT BAND OF SNOW INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN IL IN THE 15Z-18Z TIMEFRAME. IN THE WAKE OF THIS BAND...CIGS WILL DROP TO MVFR LEVELS AND AND GRADUALLY LOWER DURING THE REMAINDER OF THIS TAF PERIOD AS LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE MOISTEN. THE CHALLENGE AND A LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY IS WITH THE PRECIPITATION TYPE FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT THE LOWER AND MIDDLE LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE BELOW 10 KFT WILL REMAIN COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW AT PIA. HOWEVER...THE DIVIDING LINE FOR MIXED PRECIP APPEARS TO BE SETTING UP JUST WEST OF I-55. THE TOP DOWN METHOD ON THE BUFKIT NAM SOUNDING INDICATES A PERIOD OF SLEET OR SLEET AND SNOW IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN IL AFTER 20Z. AS LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION INCREASES TOWARD EVENING THE SLEET IS EXPECTED TO MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO ALL FREEZING RAIN. THE LATEST MOS GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE FREEZING ALONG THE I-72 CORRIDOR AROUND 03Z OR SO...SO CHANGED THE PRECIP TYPE FROM -FZRA TO -RA AFTER THIS TIME FROM SPI-DEC-CMI. MILLER && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 300 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 COMPLICATED WEATHER PATTERN APPROACHING FOR TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE STRENGTH OF THE WARM LAYER AND MIXED PRECIP CHANCES. WILL LEAN TWRD GFS FOR THE INITIAL STORM. A STORM SYSTEM STILL ON TAP FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...BUT LOOKING MORE LIKE A RAIN EVENT...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FREEZING PRECIP THURS NIGHT AT THE ONSET. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WAA SNOWS ARE ALREADY ADVANCING ACROSS THE PLAINS...AND IT APPEARS THE SNOW SHOULD ARRIVE IN OUR NW ZONES AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE INITIAL MOISTURE LAYER WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL SNOW NW OF THE IL RIVER. WE DECIDED TO GO WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BEGINNING AT 3 AM IN THAT AREA TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SNOW ACCUMS PRIOR TO THE MORNING COMMUTE. ONLY AN INCH OR SO IS EXPECTED BY SUNRISE...BUT SLIPPERY CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DEVELOP ON THE ROADS. WE HAVE THE WW ADVISORY GOING IN THAT AREA ALL THE WAY THROUGH 3 AM WED MORNING. THE MODELS HAVE TRENDED WITH A LATER ONSET OF PRECIP IN THE REMAINDER OF OUR CWA ON TUESDAY...SO ONLY HAVE CHANCE OR SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN AREAS SE OF I-55 TUESDAY MORNING. ANY PRECIP IN THE MORNING IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH MAY START BRIEFLY AS SNOW OR SLEET...BUT SHOULD CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN BY EARLY AFTERNOON. STILL EXPECT THE VERY COLD AIR TO BE DIFFICULT TO DISPLACE...WHICH COULD ALLOW FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF FREEZING PRECIP INTO TUESDAY EVENING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW THE SURFACE TEMP CLIMBING ABOVE FREEZING AROUND 6 PM SOUTH OF I-70...SO WE WENT WITH A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 6PM THERE. N OF I-70 TO I-72 OR SO...WE HAVE A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM NOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT. FOR CHAMPAIGN TO LINCOLN TO RUSHVILLE...WE HAVE A WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN COMBO FROM 9 AM TUES THROUGH MIDNIGHT TUES NIGHT. WENT WITH A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN THE SOUTHERN HALF OR SO BASED ON A POSSIBLE LACK OF ICE CRYSTALS AT THE ONSET. ONLY SUPERCOOLED DROPLETS MAY BE AVAILABLE TO COALESCE AND PRODUCE DROPS THAT FALL INTO THE COLD SURFACE AIR. TUES AFTERNOON...ICE CRYSTALS DEVELOP ALOFT...BUT THEN THE WARM LAYER WILL DEEPEN...TO MELT THE ICE CRYSTAL BEFORE IT REACHES THE COLD SURFACE AIR. A COMPLICATED SCENARIO IS ON TAP...BUT IT APPEARS THAT FREEZING RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY PRECIP TYPE FOR MOST AREAS S OF I-72 ON TUES AND TUE EVE. AFTER MIDNIGHT ON TUES NIGHT...MOST AREAS EAST OF THE IL RIVER WILL CHANGE TO ALL RAIN. I LEFT A MIX OF SNOW AND SLEET FOR THE FAR NW ZONES...NW OF PEORIA...AS THE WARM SURGE SEEMS TO SKIRT BY TO THE EAST OF THERE FOR THE MOST PART. WEDNESDAY MORNING...THE COLD AIR IS PULLED CLOSER TO OUR CWA BY A SECONDARY WAVE RIDING NORTHEAST UP THE BOUNDARY. A BAND OF 1 TO 2 INCH SNOWS ARE EXPECTED NW OF I-55. BY WED AFTERNOON...PRECIP WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE BACK TO SNOW ACROSS THE REST OF THE CWA FROM WEST TO EAST. MOST OF THE PRECIP SHOULD BE ENDING BY WED AFTN...SO I ONLY WENT WITH CHC POPS IN THE EAST...AND SLIGHT CHC EVERYWHERE ELSE. MOSTLY SNOW...WITH SOME LINGERING RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FAR EAST EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD KEEP THINGS DRY WED NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY. WE STILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN THURSDAY NIGHT...AS THE NEXT WAVE OF WAA PRECIP APPROACHES. A WARM SCENARIO IS SETTING UP FOR FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. THE PRECIP ON FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MAY ME MAINLY RAIN. GUID HAS BEEN CONTINUING TO INDICATE THIS WARM TREND FOR LONG ENOUGH THAT WE NEEDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MOSTLY RAIN EVENT...INSTEAD OF MIXED PRECIP. HEAVY RAINS ON FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING. UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. FLOODING MAY DEVELOP ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS...AND MAYBE IN SOME BASEMENTS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY FOR ILZ062- 063-066>068-071>073. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ILZ031-037-038-040>048. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TUESDAY TO 3 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR ILZ027>030-036. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 12 PM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ILZ049>057-061. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ILZ027>030-036-231200- FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-PEORIA-STARK- 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TUESDAY TO 3 AM CST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW...HOWEVER A PERIOD OF SLEET IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL OCCUR BY TUESDAY NIGHT. A SECOND WAVE OF PRECIPITATION MAY BRING ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ031-037-038-040>043-047-048-231200- CASS-DE WITT-LOGAN-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-SCHUYLER-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TUESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY START AS LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET TUESDAY MORNING...THEN TRANSITION TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM ONE TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-231200- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY START AS A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET TUESDAY MORNING...THEN TRANSITION TO RAIN BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ONE TENTH OF AN INCH OR LESS. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044>046-231200- CHAMPAIGN-PIATT-VERMILION- 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TUESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY START AS LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET TUESDAY MORNING...THEN TRANSITION TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM ONE TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ049>057-061-231200- CHRISTIAN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-SANGAMON- SCOTT-SHELBY- 350 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TUESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY START AS LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET TUESDAY MORNING...THEN TRANSITION TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM ONE TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND 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.
2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous traffic accidents were reported across Effingham County due to icy road conditions. Two people died(indirect fatalities) in a collision on I-57 just north of Effingham.
Numerous traffic accidents occurred across Sangamon County due to icy road conditions, including a seven vehicle accident on I-55 near Sherman that injured four people.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Effingham | 2008-12-23 | 24 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Effingham | 2008-12-23 | 30 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2008
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: 143579, 143584.