Frost and Freeze in Illinois, April 12, 2012

Name: Frost and Freeze in Illinois, April 12, 2012
Start: 2012-04-12T00:00
End: 2012-04-12T07:00
Location: Illinois

April 12, 2012 · NWS DVN · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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: 13

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 high pressure system originating out of Canada settled into the region on April 10-12, 2012 providing clear skies, light winds and cold temperatures. The result was a hard freeze for three nights in a row as minimum temperatures plummeted into the 20s. Most locations saw readings dip into the mid to upper 20s but a few spots reported temperatures in the lower 20s. Stanley, Iowa in Buchanan county was the coldest location with 21 degrees on April 11. After a record warm March which caused vegetation growth to be at least 4 weeks earlier than normal, the cold weather damaged sensitive crops. According to Radio Iowa, widespread frost and freezing temperatures for three nights in a row caused significant damage to crops including apples, grapes and strawberries. At least 50 to 70 percent of these crops were lost especially where temperatures fell to 25 degrees or lower. However, it is unknown the amount of damage in dollar amount.

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 Apr 11, 5:01 PM CST, 6 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 5:01 PM CST, 6 hours 59 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 11, 3:51 AM CST, 20 hours 9 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

13 frost/freeze. Local standard time, as filed.

Frost/Freeze, McDonough

When: April 12, 12:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: McDonough forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 40.456, -90.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Macomb was 30 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Bureau

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Bureau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.404, -89.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Hancock

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Bentley was 27 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Henry

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Henry forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.353, -90.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Kewanee was 27 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Mercer

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Aledo was 29 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Putnam

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.205, -89.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Rock Island

When: April 12, 2:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Rock Island forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at the Quad Cities International Airport near Moline was 28 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Carroll

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.069, -89.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Henderson

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Jo Daviess

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Jo Daviess forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Galena was 27 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Stephenson

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Stephenson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The minimum temperature at Freeport was 31 degrees.

Frost/Freeze, Warren

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.849, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Whiteside

When: April 12, 3:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Whiteside forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.756, -89.914 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Frost/Freeze: Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, April 2012

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: 375759, 375753, 375755, 375757, 375760, 375761, 375762, 375754, 375756, 375758, 375763, 375764, 375765.