Illinois, 2008

Dense Fog in Illinois, January 5 to 8, 2008

January 5 to 8, 2008 · NWS DVN · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong storm system tracking slowly out of the Rockies and into the Plains, set up a sustained southerly flow of warmer and increasingly moist air into the area. This flow out of the Gulf of Mexico across snow depths of 5 to 12 inches, led to several prolonged periods of dense fog January 5-8, 2008.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Cold
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

A strong storm system tracking slowly out of the Rockies and into the Plains, set up a sustained southerly flow of warmer and increasingly moist air into the area. This flow out of the Gulf of Mexico across snow depths of 5 to 12 inches, led to several prolonged periods of dense fog January 5-8, 2008. Visibilities were frequently 1/4 mile or less, and occasionally near zero, which made for treacherous driving conditions.

What forecasters said that day

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 5, 2:34 PM CST, 5 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 5, 2:34 PM CST, 5 hours 26 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Jo Daviess

When
January 5, 8:00 PM CST to January 8, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Jo Daviess forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Mercer

When
January 7, 6:00 PM CST to January 8, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Rock Island

When
January 7, 7:00 PM CST to January 8, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Rock Island forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Whiteside

When
January 7, 7:00 PM CST to January 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Whiteside forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.756, -89.914 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Stephenson

When
January 7, 7:30 PM CST to January 8, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Stephenson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Carroll

When
January 7, 7:45 PM CST to January 8, 1:25 AM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.069, -89.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dense Fog
Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 2008

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 74403, 74404, 74405, 74407, 74406, 74402.