An upper-level disturbance brought snow to central and southeast Illinois on January 20th. Much of the area picked up 1 to 3 inches of snow: however, heavier totals ranging from 5 to 7 inches were observed south of I-70, particularly across Clay, Richland, and Lawrence counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
An upper-level disturbance brought snow to central and southeast Illinois on January 20th. Much of the area picked up 1 to 3 inches of snow: however, heavier totals ranging from 5 to 7 inches were observed south of I-70, particularly across Clay, Richland, and Lawrence counties. Due to the snowfall, numerous traffic accidents were reported.
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 Jan 20, 3:54 AM CST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 354 AM CST THU JAN 20 2011 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 321 AM CST THU JAN 20 2011 LARGE SCALE SYSTEM HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH IN THIS FORECAST RUN. INVERTED TROF AND UPPER WAVE DEVELOPING SOME SNOW ACROSS THE REGION AND MORE SPECIFICALLY...SOME MESOSCALE BANDING SETTING UP OVER STL AND INTO SRN TIER OF ILLINOIS. AT THIS POINT IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS WEAKENING OF THE BANDING...BUT MODELS HINT THAT THE ENHANCEMENT WILL RETURN LATER TODAY. MAIN ISSUES FOR THE FORECAST REMAIN THE SNOW TOTALS AND THE MESOSCALE FEATURES FOR LATER IN THE DAY. ANOTHER COUPLE OF SYSTEMS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR FRI NIGHT/SAT...AND SUN NIGHT/MONDAY...AFTER THE CURRENT WAVE HELPS TO DIG OUT A SYNOPTIC SCALE TROF AND MORE AMPLIFIED FLOW FOR MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TOMORROW... SNOWFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSECTION OF THE COUNTRY...THOUGH IR SAT IMAGERY SHOWS A SLOW WEAKENING TREND...INCLUDING THE MESOSCALE BANDING STRETCHING FROM STL TO LAWRENCEVILLE. LIGHT SNOW SHOULD CONTINUE...WITH THE MODERATE SNOW FROM STL TO LWV IN THE EARLY HOURS. LATER IN THE DAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF FRONTOGENETIC FORCING SETS UP THIS AFTERNOON IN THE SE ACCORDING TO THE NAM/WRF MAINLY IN THE MID LEVELS. SIGNALS A LITTLE BIT WEAKER WITH THE GFS...NOT LEANING TO MASSIVE TOTALS AS THE SYSTEM IS PULLING OFF TO THE EAST ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE FIELD MAXES IN MODELS...BUT STILL EXPECT THE BETTER TOTALS TO END UP IN THE SOUTH/SE PORTIONS OF THE FA WITH THE BETTER DYNAMICS OVERALL. THOUGH GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A LATE START THIS EVENING...TOTALS ARE ON TRACK WITH 3-5 AND LOCALLY HIGHER SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 72. AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 TO SEE MORE IN THE 4-6 RANGE. AREAS NORTH OF LINE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO SPRINGFIELD TO CHAMPAIGN MORE IN THE 1 TO 3. ANY LOCATIONS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 72 SHOULD REMAIN VERY ALERT TO ANY MESOSCALE FEATURES THAT MAY SET UP AND SNOWFALL INTENSIFY. THE LOCAL IMPACTS OF ANY FEATURES OF THIS NATURE WILL RESULT IN HIGHER AMOUNTS. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT AS SNOW TO LIQUID RATIOS ARE RATHER HIGH AND INCREASING WITH THE VERY COLD AIR PUSHING INTO THE FA. WITH THIS COLD AIR...TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT TONIGHT DROP SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO. WIND CHILLS TOWARDS DAWN PARTICULARLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 74 WILL BE CLOSE TO ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT THE LACK OF STRONG WINDS AS THE COLDEST AIR ARRIVES SHOULD KEEP IT JUST SHY OF ADVISORY. TOMORROWS TEMPS WILL ONLY CLIMB INTO THE TEENS AS THE COLD AIR PARKS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY... FRI NIGHT AND INTO SAT SEES A BRIEF PD OF SOUTHERLY FLOW AND A SLIGHT WAA TO BRING SAT UP TO THE 20S. ANOTHER WAVE HINTED IN THE OP MODELS FOR FRI NIGHT/SAT BRINGING ANOTHER QUICK SHOT OF SNOW. AT THIS POINT...ONLY MENTION IS FRI NIGHT...WHICH IS MORE IN LINE WITH GFS/NAM TRENDS THAN THE SLOWER ECMWF WHICH DELIVERS THE BULK OF THE SNOW FOR SATURDAY DAY. ANOTHER TREND TO KEEP AN EYE ON BRINGS A BIT BIGGER STORM SUN NIGHT INTO MONDAY...THOUGH MAJOR DIFFERENCES WITH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF HANDLING A PATTERN SHIFT WITH TWO WAVES IN A POTENTIALLY SPLIT FLOW PATTERN ALOFT. CONFIDENCE IN PLACEMENT AND TOTALS IS LOW FOR BOTH OF THE SMALL SYSTEMS. HJS && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1153 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011...FOR THE 06Z TAFS THE INITIAL BAND OF ENHANCED SNOWFALL IS NOW LIFTING TOWARD SPI AND DEC. THEY BOTH WILL REMAIN IFR VIS IN SNOW THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT...WITH PERIODS OF LIFR VIS AND POSSIBLY CIGS IN MODERATE SNOW FROM TIME TO TIME. CMI MAY ALSO SEE IFR/LIFR AT TIMES TONIGHT...AS THE BAROCLINIC ZONE SHIFTS NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL IL. BMI AND PIA WILL HAVE LESS TIME AT IFR LEVELS....BUT THEY WILL LIKELY SEE SOME TIME AT IFR BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z. DEC AND CMI WILL SEE A SECONDARY WAVE OF LIGHT SNOW BETWEEN 15Z- 18Z AS THE SNOW BAND ROTATES TO THE NORTHEAST. HAVE INCLUDED A TEMPO FOR IFR VIS IN SNOW DURING THAT TIME. WINDS WILL SHIFT NE DURING THE REST OF THE NIGHT...WITH BACKING WINDS TO THE N AND NW AGAIN THURSDAY MORNING. INCREASING NW WINDS ARE EXPECTED LATE THUR AFTERNOON...AND ESPECIALLY AFTER 00Z FRI. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL LIKELY CAUSE DRIFTING PROBLEMS FOR WEST-EAST RUNWAYS...AS WELL AS SW-NE. SHIMON && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR ILZ040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 306 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011 ILZ027>031-036>038-201200- FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 306 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AROUND 1 INCH OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. HEAVIER TOTALS ARE EXPECTED FURTHER SOUTH TOWARD THE I-72 CORRIDOR. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM...CREATING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS OF 10 BELOW TO 15 BELOW ZERO WILL OCCUR AS WELL. A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING PERIODIC CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...AND AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. NO MAJOR STORMS ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY WOULD BE APPRECIATED. ILZ040>043-047>053-201200- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-LOGAN-MACON-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON- SCHUYLER-SCOTT- 306 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM...CREATING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS OF 5 BELOW TO 10 BELOW ZERO WILL OCCUR AS WELL. A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING PERIODIC CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...AND AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. NO MAJOR STORMS ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY WOULD BE APPRECIATED. ILZ044>046-201200- CHAMPAIGN-PIATT-VERMILION- 306 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM...CREATING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS OF 5 BELOW TO 10 BELOW ZERO WILL OCCUR AS WELL. A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING PERIODIC CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...AND AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. NO MAJOR STORMS ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY WOULD BE APPRECIATED. ILZ054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-201200- CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM- JASPER-LAWRENCE-MOULTRIE-RICHLAND-SHELBY- 306 PM CST WED JAN 19 2011 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM...CREATING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS OF 5 BELOW TO 10 BELOW ZERO WILL OCCUR AS WELL. A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING PERIODIC CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...AND AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. NO MAJOR STORMS ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY WOULD BE APPRECIATED. BARNES
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Weather observers across Clay County measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow. Due to snow-covered and icy roadways, numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers across Lawrence County measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow. Due to snow-covered and icy roadways, numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers across Richland County measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow. Due to snow-covered and icy roadways, numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers across Sangamon County measured between 3 and 4 inches of snow. As a result of snow-covered and icy roadways, numerous traffic accidents were reported.
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, January 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: 280573, 280574, 280576, 280579.