A winter storm system tracking from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes brought heavy snow to west-central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of February 21st. 5 inches falling in Rushville in Schuyler County.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 winter storm system tracking from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes brought heavy snow to west-central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of February 21st. The highest accumulations of 4 to 6 inches were generally confined to locations along and southwest of a Canton to Springfield line, with as much as 7.5 inches falling in Rushville in Schuyler County. As the snow tapered off, a period of light freezing rain occurred later in the evening, resulting in minor ice accumulations near the I-55 corridor.
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 21, 11:35 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1135 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1024 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 WINTER WEATHER STORM SPINNING UP OVER MISSOURI AND ON TRACK FOR ILX THIS AFTERNOON. SOME MINOR MIX OF PRECIPITATION ON THE LEADING EDGE...BUT MAINLY SNOW EXPECTED WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE I-55 CORRIDOR. FREEZING RAIN STILL ANTICIPATED ON THE BACK EDGE OF THE SYSTEM...AND IN THE SOUTHEAST...PARTICULARLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE ROUGHLY FROM PARIS TO TAYLORVILLE. GOING FORECAST IS ACTUALLY ON TRACK...AND CONSIDERING THE WINTRY MIX AND CURRENT VARIABLES...NO REASON TO ALTER THE FORECAST BEYOND WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE GRIDS SIGNIFICANTLY. HAVE ALTERED HOURLY TEMPS AND SKY COVER...BUT PRECIP TRENDS ON TRACK. MAJOR CONCERN FOR AFFECTING THE SNOW TOTAL AMOUNTS ARE TWO FOLD...ONE...THE SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BE QUICK IN PASSING AND TOTALS WILL HAVE TO ACCUMULATE QUICKLY TO MAKE AN IMPACT BEFORE THE AREA IS OVERTAKEN BY THE DRY SLOT. TWO...THOUGH THUNDER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE AS THE SYSTEM PULLS THROUGH CENTRAL IL...SOME ISOLATED THUNDER IS STILL QUITE POSSIBLE. AREAS AFFECTED BY A CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED STORM HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEE LOCALIZED HIGHER TOTALS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND TIMING REMAIN UNCHANGED. && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1127 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF CHANGES TO THE FORECAST. WINTER STORM ON APPROACH SERVING UP A BIT OF A MIX OF PRECIP ON THE LEADING EDGE...THOUGH MOSTLY SNOW FOR SPI...THEN PIA AND BMI. DEC AND CMI MAY BE IN A BIT OF AN ISSUE FOR MORE IP INCLUDED. STORM IS ADVANCING A BIT QUICKER...AND HAVE ADJUSTED SOME OF THE ARRIVAL TIMES. BUT THERE IS LITTLE EASING INTO THE IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS. WHEN IT STARTS...CONDITIONS DETERIORATE QUICKLY AND ARE ANTICIPATED TO STAY DOWN. CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT REMAINS IN PLACE AS THE UPPER LOW PARKS JUST NORTH OF THE CWA THROUGH THE MORNING...WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN LOW CIGS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DZ AND FZDZ THROUGH THE MORNING...PARTICULARLY GIVEN SNOWFALL/ENHANCED LLVL RH. IS FAR MORE LIKELY THAT WILL SEE STRATUS AND DROPPED VIS THROUGH 18Z. HJS && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR ILZ043>046-053>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON CST FRIDAY FOR ILZ027>031-036>038-041-042. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR ILZ040-047>052. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1128 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ILZ027>031-036>038-041-042-221200- FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL- WOODFORD- 1128 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA AROUND MID AFTERNOON... AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING TO SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 5 INCHES WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER...AND 3 TO 4 INCHES TO THE EAST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SOME LIGHT SNOW AND FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL LINGER INTO FRIDAY. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LESS THAN A HALF INCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. ILZ040-047>052-221200- CASS-CHRISTIAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- 1128 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON... AND IS EXPECTED TO MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN BY EVENING. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 3 INCHES NEAR THE I-55 CORRIDOR...TO 5 INCHES NEAR THE ILLINOIS RIVER. IN ADDITION...SOME ICE ACCUMULATION OF LESS THAN A TENTH INCH IS POSSIBLE. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL...AND THEY MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW OR FREEZING RAIN. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TO FREEZING DRIZZLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY LINGER INTO FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-72. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. ILZ043>046-053>057-063-221200- CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT- VERMILION- 1128 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...AND BECOME MIXED WITH OR CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET DURING THE EVENING. THE HIGHEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ALONG A DECATUR TO DANVILLE LINE...WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES. AREAS TO THE SOUTH WILL SEE AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW...ALONG WITH AROUND A TENTH INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL LINGER INTO FRIDAY...WITH SOME MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS NORTH OF I-74. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. ILZ061-062-066>068-071>073-221200- CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- SHELBY- 1128 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE LATE AFTERNOON...WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY FREEZING RAIN OR SNOW. FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO MUCH OF THE EVENING...BEFORE TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING AND END THE ICING THREAT. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH ARE LIKELY...WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS SOUTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF ICE ACCUMULATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. HJS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Several weather observers measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow across Morgan County, including 7.0 inches 1 mile southwest of Woodson and 6.0 inches in Jacksonville.
Several weather observers measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow across Scott County, including 7.0 inches in Winchester.
Several weather observers measured between 5 and 7 inches of snow across Cass County.
Several weather observers measured between 6 and 8 inches of snow across Schuyler County, including 7.5 inches in Rushville.
Several observers measured between 5 and 6 inches of snow across Sangamon County, including 5.5 inches 1 mile southwest of Jerome and 5.3 inches in Springfield. In addition to the snow, minor ice accumulations of less than one quarter of an inch created hazardous driving conditions across the county.
Several observers measured between 3 and 4 inches of snow across Logan County, including 3.2 inches in Lincoln and 3.0 inches in Mount Pulaski. In addition to the snow, ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch created hazardous driving conditions across the county.
Several observers measured between 4 and 5 inches of snow across Menard County, including 5.2 inches 1 mile north of Petersburg. In addition to the snow, ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch created hazardous driving conditions across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2013
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: 430782, 430789, 430774, 430785, 430796, 430798, 430804.