In the wake of a powerful storm system that brought copious amounts of snow and ice to central Illinois, strong Canadian high pressure built into the region from February 2nd through February 4th. Actual air temperatures dropped below zero during the overnight hours, while wind-chill readings fell as low as 15 below zero.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
In the wake of a powerful storm system that brought copious amounts of snow and ice to central Illinois, strong Canadian high pressure built into the region from February 2nd through February 4th. Actual air temperatures dropped below zero during the overnight hours, while wind-chill readings fell as low as 15 below zero. Due to an extended power outage during this period of bitterly cold weather, a man in rural Dieterich died as a result of hypothermia.
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 Feb 2, 5:53 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 553 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 220 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 BITTERLY COLD WIND-CHILLS EXPECTED TONIGHT...BEFORE TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY MODERATE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY LOW PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH NEW ENGLAND...WHILE STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE PLAINS. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH DURING THE EVENING...BEFORE GRADUALLY SUBSIDING TO LESS THAN 10 MPH OVERNIGHT. THESE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURES DIPPING BELOW ZERO TO PRODUCE WIND-CHILL READINGS IN THE 10 BELOW TO 20 BELOW ZERO RANGE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE LOWEST WIND-CHILLS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A DANVILLE TO SHELBYVILLE LINE...WHERE A WIND-CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. FURTHER SOUTHEAST...WIND-CHILLS WILL NOT BE QUITE AS LOW...BUT WILL STILL DROP WELL BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON THURSDAY...PROVIDING SUNNY SKIES/LIGHT WINDS/AND VERY COLD TEMPS. DESPITE WEAK WAA...AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE TEENS IN MOST AREAS. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE SOUTHEAST OF I-70...WHERE VERY LITTLE ICE/SNOW COVER EXISTS AND TEMPS WILL BE ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE LOWER 20S. DEEP UPPER LOW CURRENTLY SPINNING OVER THE FOUR-CORNERS REGION WILL EJECT NORTHEASTWARD IN RESPONSE TO AN APPROACHING NORTHERN STREAM WAVE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SUGGEST AN INCREASE IN CLOUDINESS FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH PERHAPS A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF I-70 FRIDAY NIGHT. AIRMASS WILL BE TOO DRY TO SUPPORT MUCH PRECIP...BUT WITH UPPER WAVE COMING SO CLOSE...THINK A LOW CHANCE POP IS WARRANTED. ANY ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE MINOR...GENERALLY ONLY A COUPLE TENTHS OF AN INCH. ELSEWHERE AROUND THE AREA...THE APPROACHING NORTHERN STREAM WAVE WILL BRING A FEW SNOW FLURRIES. MEANWHILE...CONTINUED S/SW LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL ALLOW HIGH TEMPS TO CLIMB WELL INTO THE 20S ON SATURDAY...WITH 30S ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST KILX CWA. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NORTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW WILL ENSURE A CONTINUATION OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPS NEXT WEEK. A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT WAVE IS EXPECTED TO DIG INTO THE GREAT LAKES LATE IN THE WEEKEND...PUSHING A COLD FRONT THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THE BIG QUESTION WILL BE WHETHER AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT ONCE IT PUSHES EASTWARD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY ON MONDAY. ECMWF/GFS ARE ONCE AGAIN IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT...WITH THE ECMWF CONTINUING TO BE SLIGHTLY STRONGER AND FURTHER WEST WITH THE LOW TRACK. IN EITHER CASE...A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKELY MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT. GIVEN EXTENDED PERIOD OF MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE WEEKEND...THINK THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF MOISTURE TO WORK WITH AND COULD POTENTIALLY PRODUCE A LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SNOW. WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE THE CHANCE FOR SNOW EARLY NEXT WEEK. AFTER THAT...ANOTHER SHOT OF VERY COLD AIR WILL SETTLE INTO THE MIDWEST...WITH HIGH TEMPS DROPPING BACK INTO THE TEENS FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. BARNES && .AVIATION... ISSUED 553 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 A STRONG/DRY/COLD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TERMINALS THROUGH THE 00Z TAF VALID TIME. THE HIGH WILL PROVIDE QUIET/VFR AVIATION WEATHER...WITH LITTLE OR NO CLOUD COVER. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DECREASE BELOW 10 KTS THIS EVENING...BACK SOUTHWEST BY THURSDAY MORNING...AND INCREASE TO 10-15 KTS BY MIDDAY. BAK && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR ILZ027>031- 036>038-040>055-061. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 308 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>055-061-031200- CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON- MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT- SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-WOODFORD- 308 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WIND CHILL READINGS OVERNIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO RANGE. MANY ROADS REMAIN VERY HAZARDOUS FOR TRAVELING...AS SNOW PLOW CREWS WORK TO CLEAR THE ROADS. AREAS WEST OF I-55 WERE ESPECIALLY HARD HIT WITH THE RECENT SNOWSTORM. YOU SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL IN RURAL AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WIND CHILLS THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE IN THE 15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO RANGE...AND WILL LIKELY FALL TO SIMILAR LEVELS AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ056-057-062-063-066>068-071>073-031200- CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER- LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 308 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WIND CHILL READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TO ZERO TO 15 BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT...COLDEST NORTH OF I-70. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. GEELHART
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1230 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>044-047>051-053-022100- KNOX-STARK-PEORIA-MARSHALL-WOODFORD-FULTON-TAZEWELL-MCLEAN- SCHUYLER-MASON-LOGAN-DE WITT-PIATT-CASS-MENARD-SCOTT-MORGAN- SANGAMON-MACON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GALESBURG...PEORIA...BLOOMINGTON... NORMAL...HAVANA...LINCOLN...JACKSONVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...DECATUR 1230 PM CST WED FEB 2 2011 ...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS SUBSIDING BUT ROAD CONDITIONS REMAIN EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS... AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO MID AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...VISIBILITY HAS BEEN IMPROVING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THE LOWEST VISIBILITIES AT MIDDAY WERE FOUND AROUND CHAMPAIGN AND DANVILLE...BUT THESE WILL ALSO IMPROVE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WHILE BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL BECOME LESS OF A PROBLEM...MANY ROADS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS REMAIN EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS. SNOWFALL TOTALS WEST OF I-55 RANGED FROM 10 TO 20 INCHES...AND WERE HIGHEST ALONG AND WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER. FIVE TO 10 INCHES WERE COMMON FROM DANVILLE TO DECATUR. TRAVEL ON MANY RURAL ROADS WAS STILL EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. PORTIONS OF I-74 BETWEEN GALESBURG AND PEORIA...I-155 FROM LINCOLN TO PEORIA...AND I-39 NORTH FROM BLOOMINGTON WERE ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS...AND WERE LARGELY CLOSED. TRAVEL IS STILL NOT RECOMMENDED ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...ALLOW PLENTY OF EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION... DRIVE SLOWER THAN NORMAL...AND IF YOU ARE STRANDED...REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL HELP ARRIVES. GEELHART
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
108 PM CST WED FEB 02 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW GALESBURG 40.95N 90.38W
02/02/2011 M15.0 INCH KNOX IL CO-OP OBSERVER
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW 1 N MACKINAW 40.55N 89.36W
02/02/2011 M13.6 INCH TAZEWELL IL CO-OP OBSERVER
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW KINCAID 39.59N 89.41W
02/02/2011 M8.4 INCH CHRISTIAN IL CO-OP OBSERVER
SOME SLEET TOO
&&
25PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
112 PM CST WED FEB 02 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 PM SLEET CHAMPAIGN 40.11N 88.26W
02/02/2011 M4.20 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL MESONET
STORM TOTAL SLEET ACCUMULATION WAS 4.2 INCHES...WITH 1.1
INCHES OF SNOW ON TOP OF THAT.
0100 PM SNOW CHAMPAIGN 40.11N 88.26W
02/02/2011 M1.1 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL MESONET
&&
BARNESThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Due to an extended power outage during a period of extremely cold temperatures, a man suffering from a chronic respiratory condition died of hypothermia in rural Dieterich.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Effingham | 2011-02-04 | 51 | Male | Permanent Home | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2011
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: 286084.