A major winter storm moved through the Midwest from November 30th through early on December 1st. with portions of Tazewell, Woodford, and McLean counties picking up in excess of 6 inches of snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 November 30th through early on December 1st. Moderate to heavy snow impacted locations along and north of I-74...with portions of Tazewell, Woodford, and McLean counties picking up in excess of 6 inches of snow. Further south, snowfall was lighter...with a general 1 to 3 inch accumulation common between the I-72 and I-70 corridors. As the snow came to an end, gusty northwesterly winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow that persisted into the morning of December 1st. In addition, falling temperatures created slick and hazardous road conditions...even in locations that did not experience heavy snowfall.
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, 11:41 PM CST, 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1141 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 900 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 FIRST SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM OF THE WINTER SEASON IS BEGINNING TO INTENSIFY OVER THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS EVENING. A VIGOROUS UPPER TROF IS CONTINUING TO DIG ACROSS THE NATIONS MID SECTION...HELPING TO DEVELOP THE SURFACE SYSTEM. GOOD WAA/ISENTROPIC LIFT ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE DIGGING TROF IS HELPING TO DEVELOP PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING AND POINTS UPSTREAM. A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL DRY LAYER...EVIDENT IN THE RING AROUND THE KILX RADAR...IS KEEPING MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION FROM REACHING THE GROUND ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS AT THIS POINT. HOWEVER...IT WILL JUST BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE LOW LEVELS MOISTEN AND PRECIPITATION IS REACHING THE GROUND EVERYWHERE. THE LOW LEVEL THERMAL PROFILE IS WARM ENOUGH...PER 00Z KILX AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS...FOR THE PRECIPITATION TO INITIALLY REACH THE GROUND AS RAIN. HOWEVER... EVAPORATIONAL COOLING DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL DRY AIR AND DYNAMIC COOLING DUE TO THE INTENSIFYING SYSTEM SHOULD CHANGE THE PRECIPITATION TO SNOW BY MORNING. 18Z AND 00Z GFS/NAM AND 21Z SREF PROGS ALL HAVE THIS SYSTEM TRENDING STRONGER THAN EARLIER RUNS. IT IS APPEARING INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE DEFORMATION ZONE WILL IMPACT PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...MAINLY THE I-74 CORRIDOR FROM PEORIA TO DANVILLE. THIS PORTION OF THE STORM WOULD IMPACT THAT REGION FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS...NUDGING THAT AREA TOWARD WARNING CRITERIA SNOWS. WILL UPDATE GOING FORECAST PER LATEST OVERNIGHT TRENDS. HAVE ALSO BOOSTED SNOW CHANCES SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT ACROSS MOST OF FORECAST AREA. WILL BOOST TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AS WELL... ESPECIALLY IN ABOVE MENTIONED THREAT AREA. OVERNIGHT SHIFT WILL NEED TO ASSESS IF ANY HEADLINE UPGRADES ARE NEEDED. BAK && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1141 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 PRECIPITATION BREAKING OUT ACROSS THE TERMINALS ABOUT ON SCHEDULE...AND IT IS GENERALLY CHANGING OVER TO SNOW WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF STARTING. DEVELOPING WINTER STORM...CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER IA/MO...WILL SLOWLY LIFT ACROSS THE TERMINALS DURING THE 06Z TAF PERIOD. THE LOWERING OF VSBYS/CIGS INTO THE LOW MVFR/IFR CATEGORY HAS BEEN QUICKER THAN ANTICIPATED...AND ONCE THEY ARRIVE SEE LITTLE REASON CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE MUCH UNTIL STORM STARTS TO PULL AWAY LATER SUNDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS STILL APPEAR LIKELY TO IMPACT KPIA/KBMI/KCMI TERMINALS LATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THIS WILL ALSO COINCIDE WITH STRONGER WINDS AS THE STORM SYSTEM INTENSIFIES ON TOP OF ILLINOIS. BAK && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 155 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 ...FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOW OF THE SEASON EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... UPPER WAVE SEEN ON THE WATER VAPOR LOOP EARLY THIS AFTN OVR SRN KS AND NRN OK WL BE OUR WEATHER-MAKER ON SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH OUR FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON EXPECTED. NAM- WRF AND GFS HAS SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES WITH THE TRACK OF THE SFC AND UPPER LEVEL WAVE BUT ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THRU 60 HOURS TO MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE. WL TEND TO SIDE WITH THE BETTER RESOLUTION AT LOW LEVELS OF THE NAM-WRF WITH TEMP PROFILES AND USE THE GFS FOR THE EXPECTED TRACK OF THE H5 LOW ACRS CNTRL IL ON SUNDAY. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MAIN CHALLENGE THIS PERIOD WL BE WITH THE SYSTEM LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AND THE POTENTIAL SNOWFALL ACRS THE AREA AND ANY HEADLINES. SYSTEM ALREADY PRODUCING RAIN AND SNOW AS CLOSE AS NE MO AND SOME OF THAT LIGHT PRECIP WL MAKE IT INTO WRN IL EARLY THIS EVENING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUPPORT RAIN INITIALLY...BUT WITH EVAP COOLING TAKING PLACE WE SHOULD SEE A TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW OVERNIGHT WITH THE PRECIP SPREADING EWD AFTR MIDNIGHT. FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE TEMPS WL BE AT OR JUST ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK LATE TNT SO ANY SNOWFALL WL INITIALLY MELT BUT BY DAWN WE MAY SEE READINGS DROP A BIT BELOW FREEZING WHEN SOME OF THE HEAVIER PRECIP ARRIVES WITH THE BETTER UPPER FORCING. MODELS NOW SUGGEST THE UPPER WAVE AT 500 MB WL CLOSE OFF OVR CNTRL IL ON SUNDAY WHICH WL ENHANCE PRECIP AMTS...ESP ALONG AND NW OF THE 500 MB LOW TRACK. NAM FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW MORE OF A RAIN-SNOW MIX WHILE THE COLDER GFS HAS IT MOSTLY SNOW. JUST LOOKING AT THE OBS OUT WEST THIS AFTN...TEMPS WERE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S NEAR THE DEVELOPING WAVE WITH REPORTS OF SNOW AND RAIN. TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS SHOW A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WEAK TO MOD LIFT/OMEGA IN THE FAVORED DENDRITIC ZONE STARTING LATE TNT OUT WEST AND ACRS THE ENTIRE AREA SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. WITH THE UPPER WAVE CLOSING OFF ACRS CNTRL IL SUNDAY AFTN...DYNAMIC COOLING OF THE COLUMN MAY BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO BRING THE RAIN SNOW MIX TO ALL SNOW ACRS THE CNTRL COUNTIES AND THAT IS THE DIRECTION WE WL HEAD. NOT A REAL CLASSIC ADVSY SITUATION WITH SFC TEMPS ABOVE FREEZING TOMORROW BUT WITH OUR INTERSTATES PACKED WITH HOLIDAY TRAVELERS HEADING BACK HOME AND THIS BEING OUR FIRST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON...WL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVSY FOR SNOW STARTING LATE TNT ACRS THE WEST AND SHIFT IT EWD SUN MRNG AND CONTINUE IT THRU SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM SLOWLY LIFTS TO OUR NE. THE FIRST WAVE OF PRECIP MAY ACTUALLY DROP AN INCH OF SNOW BY DAWN OVR MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH TEMPERATURES HOVERING ARND FREEZING...THUS THE STARTUP OF THE ADVSY LATE TNT OUT WEST AND OVR THE RMDR OF THE AREA SUN MRNG. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH AREAS ACRS THE NE THRU ERN COUNTIES HAVING THE HIGHER PROBABILITIES OF ACCUMULATING CLOSER TO THE 4 INCHES. THE SYSTEM SHOULD PUSH NORTHEAST OF THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY WITH WRAP AROUND SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES ALONG WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. TEMPS WL NOT BUDGE MUCH ON MONDAY AND MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A TENDENCY TO FALL OFF A BIT MONDAY AFTN AS THE LOW LVL COLD ADVECTION INCREASES. QUITE COLD MONDAY NIGHT WITH DIMINISHING WINDS. WENT LOWER THAN GUID WITH THE EXPECTED SNOW COVER...ESP ACRS THE NORTH. QUICK TURNAROUND WITH TEMPS ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF OUR NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM FOR MIDWEEK. SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AFTN BRINGING IN WARMER TEMPERATURES. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ACTIVE PATTERN TO REMAIN ACRS THE LOWER 48 AS LONG WAVE TROF REMAINS MORE OR LESS ANCHORED AROUND 90W FOR THIS PERIOD. NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AS SHORTWAVE APPROACHES ON WEDNESDAY...RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY WITH TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 40S...POSSIBLY LOWER 50S ACRS THE SOUTHEAST. AS THE FRONT SHIFTS TO OUR SOUTHEAST...A SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST TO BRING A SFC WAVE NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT LATER WED NIGHT INTO THU. MODELS HAVE BEEN WAVERING ON THIS SOLUTION FOR A FEW DAYS BUT WL INCORPORATE HIGHER POPS ON WEDNESDAY WITH JUST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WED NIGHT AND SEE HOW LATER RUNS RESOLVE THESE DIFFERENCES. ONCE THE FRONT SHIFTS TO OUR EAST BY THURSDAY MUCH COLDER WEATHER WILL FOLLOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. SMITH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST MONDAY FOR ILZ027>031-036- 037-040>042-047>051. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM SUNDAY TO 6 AM CST MONDAY FOR ILZ038-043>046-052>057-061. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 235 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-301200- CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND- DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-FULTON-JASPER-KNOX-LAWRENCE-LOGAN- MACON-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT- RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION- WOODFORD- 235 PM CST SAT NOV 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A MIXTURE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING THIS EVENING...AND CHANGE TO ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT NORTH OF I-70. BETWEEN A HALF AND 1 INCH OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE OVERNIGHT NORTH OF I-70. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES MONDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL BE MIXED WITH RAIN SUNDAY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE LIKELY BY DAWN MONDAY NORTH OF I-70 WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES SOUTH OF I-70. THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL BE LOW...HOWEVER TRAVELERS LATE THIS WEEKEND SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ESPECIALLY BY SUNDAY NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES SLIP BELOW FREEZING. MANY DRIVERS MAY NOT BE ACCUSTOMED TO WINTRY ROAD CONDITIONS YET...SO EXTRA CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. KH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather, 3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous weather observers across McLean County reported between 6 and 7 inches of snow.
Numerous weather observers across Tazewell County reported between 6 and 7 inches of snow.
Numerous weather observers across Woodford County reported between 6 and 7 inches of snow.
Slick road conditions caused numerous traffic accidents across Logan County.
Slick road conditions caused numerous traffic accidents across Champaign County.
Slick road conditions caused numerous traffic accidents across Peoria County.
Slick road conditions caused numerous traffic accidents across DeWitt County.
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, November 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: 141776, 141777, 141778, 141784, 142363, 142364, 142365.