A vigorous upper-level disturbance brought a swath of snow across mainly north-central Illinois on January 12th into the early morning of January 13th. to Danville line.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 vigorous upper-level disturbance brought a swath of snow across mainly north-central Illinois on January 12th into the early morning of January 13th. Three to five inches of snow accumulated along and north of a Jacksonville...to Springfield...to Danville line. As this was the first significant snowfall of the winter season, numerous traffic accidents were reported across the area. In addition, one man died as a result of shoveling the snow.
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 11, 11:16 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1116 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 845 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 QUICK GLANCE AT THE 00Z NAM...AS WELL AS THE HRRR AND RUC MODELS... INDICATES NO BIG CHANGES NEEDED TO HEADLINES OR SNOW SCENARIO FORECAST. COLD FRONT NOW APPROACHING THE IL RIVER WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND LOW CLOUDS. RADARS INDICATE THE SNOW IS LAGGING BACK OVER CENTRAL IA...SO NO POPS THIS EVENING STILL LOOK ON TRACK. THE NAM AND HRRR MODELS INDICATE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SNOW REACHING THE MIDDLE OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 12Z. WATER VAPOR LOOPS SHOWING THE DEEPENING/AMPLIFYING TROUGH OVER THE PLAINS...WITH INCREASING INFLECTION OVER NEB BEING THE BEGINNINGS OF THE LOW CLOSING OFF. THE EXPANDING DARK AREA ON SATELLITE ALONG THE TROF AXIS AND DOWN INTO THE INFLECTION OVER SOUTHERN NEB AND NORTHWESTERN KS SUGGESTS THAT STRATOSPHERIC POTENTIAL VORTICITY IS POKING DOWNWARD ON THE WESTERN FLANK OF THE TROUGH...WHICH WILL ACT TO ACCELERATE THE DEEPENING PROCESS. MOST OF THE SYNOPTIC MODEL OUTPUT AGREES ON TRACKING THE CENTER OF THE DEEPENING UPPER LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF IL FROM LATE MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON THURSDAY. DURING THAT TIME...PV AND DIFLUENCE WILL BE ROTATING THROUGH THE EASTERN QUADRANT AND INTO THE NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF THE LOW...WHICH WILL EXTEND EAST/WEST THROUGH CENTRAL IL. IN ADDITION...ISENTROPIC ANALYSES INDICATE A DECENT UPGLIDE ON THE 300K-290K SURFACES IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA...WITH SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES OF 1.5-2.5 G/KG. SO SNOW AMOUNTS OF 3-5 INCHES OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA STILL LOOK GOOD...WITH POSSIBLE MESOSCALE ENHANCEMENT OF SNOW BANDS. WILL FRESHEN UP THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY PRODUCT SHORTLY. 04 && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1116 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AS IT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS NEB. THE LOW WILL MOVE THROUGH MO THEN ACROSS IL TO THE SOUTH OF THE TAF SITES ON THURSDAY. COLD FRONT AHEAD OF THIS LOW HAS ALREADY MADE IT THROUGH ALMOST ALL TERMINALS...AND IT IS NOT FAR FROM CMI. 15-25 KT NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY WITH GUSTS 30-35 KT. MVFR 1K-2K FT STRATOCU IS CURRENTLY AN HOUR OR SO BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT THE SNOW IS STILL LAGGING BACK IN EASTERN IA AND CENTRAL MO. AT THE CURRENT RATE OF MOVEMENT...THE SNOW SHOULD BE MOVING INTO THE PIA/SPI AREAS AROUND 12Z OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. IFR CONDITIONS OR LOWER IN SNOW/BLOWING SNOW WILL BE COMMON MUCH OF THURSDAY. SNOW RATES WILL BE DECREASING SOMEWHAT AFTER 00Z FRI AS THE SYSTEM MOVES OFF...BUT LOW CIGS AND LIGHT SNOW/BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z. 04 && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 220 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 SNOW...WIND AND MUCH COLDER WEATHER HEADING FOR CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER SPREAD RAIN AS FAR NORTH AS SPRINGFIELD EAST NORTHEAST TO CHAMPAIGN. FURTHER NORTH AND WEST...SUNSHINE HAS BROUGHT EARLY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S. THE COLD FRONT WHICH WILL BRING A DRASTIC CHANGE IN OUR WEATHER AS PUSHING THRU CENTRAL IOWA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES STRUGGLING THRU THE SINGLE DIGITS AND LOW TEENS OVER THE DAKOTAS. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT SNOW AMOUNTS...FALLING TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY TOMORROW MORNING WEST...AND OVER THE EAST BY EARLY AFTERNOON. MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE SOUTHERN STREAM UPPER LEVEL WAVE AS IT GETS ABSORBED BY THE STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM ENERGY LATER TOMORROW WHICH IN EFFECT WILL PRODUCE A DEEPENING SURFACE WAVE WHICH IS FORECAST TO TRACK NORTH INTO EASTERN LOWER MICHIGAN BY 00Z FRIDAY. SNOW SHOULD TRACK INTO FAR WESTERN IL BETWEEN 09Z AND 12Z AFFECTING THE MORNING COMMUTE MAINLY IN AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 WITH LOCATIONS TO THE EAST SEEING THE SNOW DEVELOP BY MID TO LATE MORNING. THE COMMUTE HOME TOMORROW EVENING LOOKS TO BE A REAL MESS. NAM-WRF TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING THE BEST DEEP LAYERED MOISTURE AND OMEGA COINCIDENT WITH THE SNOW GROWTH REGION TO BE OCCURRING FROM MID MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON WEST AND LATE MORNING INTO THE EVENING HOURS EAST. TEMPERATURES THRU THE DAY WILL BE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING WITH FRIDAY MORNING LOWS IN THE 10 TO 15 DEGREE RANGE. LOOKING AT BOTH THE NAM AND GFS ISENTROPIC PROFILES AT 290K...SUGGEST THE BEST ASCENT AND LOWEST PRESSURE DEFICITS OCCUR IN THE 00Z TO 06Z TIME FRAME WITH THE BETTER LIFT SHIFTING OFF TO OUR EAST LATE THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING. MODELS SUGGEST SOME DECENT 850-500 MB FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING COUPLED WITH WEAK STATIC STABILITY INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME BANDED SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY ACROSS OUR NORTH LATER TOMORROW MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SNOW RATIOS START OUT AT 13:1 BUT FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST 16:1 OR EVEN GREATER TOWARDS LATE THU AFTN AND EVENING. HIGHEST SNOW AMOUNTS CONTINUE TO BE ALONG AND NORTH OF I-74 WHERE 3 TO 5 INCHES WILL OCCUR...WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN OUR FAR NORTHEASTERN AREAS. FURTHER SOUTH...TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE IN THE ORDER OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH AN INCH OR TWO ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70. ISSUED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EARLIER AND WILL CONTINUE WITH IT ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA INTO FRIDAY MORNING. AS THE SURFACE SYSTEM DEEPENS LATER TONIGHT INTO THUR...NW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 20 TO 25 MPH...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS APPROACHING 35 MPH...PRODUCING QUITE A BIT OF BLOWING SNOW. WINDS SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE FRIDAY MORNING AS THE LOW PULLS WELL OFF TO OUR EAST. WIND CHILLS DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS NORTHWEST BY TOMORROW AFTN...AND DOWN TO BETWEEN -3 TO -8 FRIDAY MORNING. TRANQUIL WEATHER WILL RETURN FRIDAY AFTN INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH SOME RATHER NIPPY TEMPERATURES IN STORE FOR THE AREA...ESPECIALLY WITH A FRESH SNOW PACK IN PLACE. WENT BELOW MOST GUID VALUES FRI NIGHT/SAT MORNING WITH OUR NORTH SEEING SINGLE DIGITS FOR LOWS. HOWEVER...IF OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM TRACKING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY IS QUICKER THAN WHAT MODELS INDICATE...CLOUDS MAY GET INTO THE AREA FASTER WHICH WOULD HELP KEEP THE TEMPS UP. FOR NOW... WL GO WITH THE COLDER LOWS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. CLIPPER SYSTEM TRACKING QUICKLY SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA ON SATURDAY BRINGING A THREAT OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA...ESPECIALLY ACRS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. GFS AND ECMWF IS FURTHEST SOUTH WHICH WOULD BRING SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWS TO OUR NORTH...WHILE THE NAM WAS A BIT FURTHER NORTH AND NOT NEARLY AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THE QPF. FOR NOW...WILL KEEP LOW CHANCE POPS GOING ACRS THE NORTH AND EAST. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY UPPER LEVEL HEIGHTS REBOUND OVER THE MIDWEST SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WHICH WILL SPELL WARMER WEATHER RETURNING TO THE AREA. DESPITE THE SNOW COVER...WE SHOULD SEE AFTERNOON TEMPS PUSH BACK INTO THE UPPER 20S TO MIDDLE 30S ON SUNDAY...AND UPPER 30S TO MIDDLE 40S BY MONDAY WITH INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS. OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM LOOKS TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT WITH TEMP PROFILES WARM ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MOSTLY RAIN WITH POSSIBLY A CHANGEOVER TO LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES AS THE SYSTEM PULLS AWAY AND COLDER AIR IS DRAWN SOUTHEAST INTO OUR AREA ON TUES. AFTER A BRIEF SHOT OF COLD AIR MIDWEEK...A MORE ZONAL FLOW PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOWER 48 RESULTING IN TEMPS AOA NORMAL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. SMITH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY FOR ILZ038-043>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR ILZ027>031-036-037-040>042-047>051. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 318 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 ILZ027>031-036-037-040>042-047>051-121200- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA- SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 318 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY LATE TONIGHT. LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED BY DAYBREAK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF I-74...AND 2 TO 3 INCHES FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING OVER 30 MPH WILL CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...WIND-CHILL READINGS WILL DIP TO AROUND ZERO LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ038-043>046-052>057-061-121200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MCLEAN- MOULTRIE-PIATT-SHELBY-VERMILION- 318 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY MORNING...THEN CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF I-74...WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING OVER 30 MPH WILL CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...WIND-CHILL READINGS WILL DIP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-121200- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 318 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY MORNING...THEN CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING OVER 30 MPH WILL CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION ...WIND-CHILL READINGS WILL DIP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. BARNES
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Three to five inches of snow fell across Tazewell County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents. In addition, a 62 year-old man died of cardiac arrest at his home in Morton on January 13th after shoveling the snow.
Three to five inches of snow fell across Fulton County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents. One man was killed when his pickup truck slid off County Road 2 near Ellisville during the morning of January 12th. At least two other people were injured in other traffic accidents across the county.
Three to five inches of snow fell across Marshall County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents. One man was killed when his car collided with an oncoming semi truck on Illinois Route 17 near Sparland during the morning of January 12th.
Three to five inches of snow fell across McLean County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents.
Two to three inches of snow fell across Macon County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents.
Two to three inches of snow fell across Sangamon County, resulting in numerous traffic accidents.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Tazewell | 2012-01-13 | 62 | Male | Permanent Home | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Fulton | 2012-01-12 | 56 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Marshall | 2012-01-12 | 34 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 2012
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: 356081, 356084, 356085, 356086, 356087, 356088.