Extreme Cold in Illinois, January 15, 2009

Name: Extreme Cold in Illinois, January 15, 2009
Start: 2009-01-15T03:00
End: 2009-01-15T09:00
Location: Illinois

January 15, 2009 · NWS PAH · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

In the wake of an arctic cold front, gusty northwest winds from 15 to 25 mph combined with a surge of arctic air to produce wind chills from minus 5 to minus 15 degrees.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 PAH wrote it up.

In the wake of an arctic cold front, gusty northwest winds from 15 to 25 mph combined with a surge of arctic air to produce wind chills from minus 5 to minus 15 degrees.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Alexander

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Alexander forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Edwards

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Edwards forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Franklin

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Gallatin

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hamilton

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hardin

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Jackson

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Jefferson

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Johnson

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Massac

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Massac forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Perry

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pope

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pulaski

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Saline

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Union

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wabash

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Wabash forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, White

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Williamson

When: January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Williamson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, January 2009

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 149012, 149013, 149014, 149015, 149016, 149017, 149018, 149019, 149020, 149021, 149022, 149023, 149024, 149025, 149026, 149027, 149028, 149029, 149030.