Low pressure tracking through the Ozarks interacted with an unseasonably cold airmass to produce snow across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of April 1st. The heaviest snow fell across west-central Illinois from Mason and Menard counties westward to the Mississippi River, where amounts of 6 to 8 inches were common.
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.
Low pressure tracking through the Ozarks interacted with an unseasonably cold airmass to produce snow across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of April 1st. The heaviest snow fell across west-central Illinois from Mason and Menard counties westward to the Mississippi River, where amounts of 6 to 8 inches were common.
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 Apr 1, 12:00 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 100 PM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 1059 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 Forecast looks on track today and no updates planned aside from minor tweaks to hourly temperatures, which will be cooling during the afternoon as snow moves in from the west. Winter weather advisory continues this afternoon (after 1 pm) and this evening for central part of CWA for 2-4 inches of snow, with the heaviest amounts expected near I-72. The 4 inches of snow forecast for Springfield will be close to their snowiest Easter on record when 4.7 inches fell on Apr 4, 1920. Latest weather observation stations reporting light snow over northern MO and still mainly just west of the MS river, despite radar mosaic showing light returns over west central IL. CAM models show light to moderate snow band spread east across central IL from Peoria south between 18-22Z and best snow accumulations occurring from 3-4 pm into mid evening. Mixed pcpn still expected in southeast IL as it moves into areas se of I-70 late this afternoon and very early evening before changing to snow there too by sunset. Highs mostly in the mid 30s over central IL and 40-45F in southeast IL by early afternoon, but temps in central IL falling to around freezing as snow develops during the mid/late afternoon. Winds will stay fairly light during this snow event through this evening. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 328 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 Cold front has dropped to the southeast of the forecast area this morning...and along the Ohio River Valley. Northwest winds dominate the region with cooler air filtering in behind the front. High pressure is building into the Midwest from the Northern Plains. However, the first weather issue for the forecast period is a quick wave moving across the Central Plains and into the Midwest, bringing snow across the center of the state today. Next in the forecast, the threat of showers and possible thunderstorms for Tuesday. Models are persisting with the progression of a wave currently over the Rockies across the Plains and into the Midwest...moving along predominantly zonal flow aloft. Snow is expected to be afternoon and into the evening hours, impacting holiday travel. Snowfall totals will generally be in the 1" to 4" range... with the higher totals falling across a line from Jacksonville to Springfield to Decatur to Danville. Areas to the north of Peoria will see very little in the way of accumulation. Models were a little warm at the surface, and have dialed back the max temps considering the snow starting just after midday/potentially impacting the diurnal swing. Given how the last daytime snow system behaved, the quick progression of snowfall/temps dropping/accumulation has shifted the forecast slightly to some slightly heavier totals. Given the new totals and the impact, have expanded the Winter Weather Advisory. As the system moves through and the precip ends, the forecast soundings lose ice crystals in the southeast and the potential for brief freezing rain will be possible around midnight. Precip has more or less ended in the overnight hours and will be done before the morning commute. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) ISSUED AT 328 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 The respite from the precip Monday morning is short-lived as the next wave moves out of the High Plains and southwesterly flow in the midlevels pushes warmer temps into the region. Warming/lifting the moisture up into the region will produce showers/possible thunder for Monday afternoon/evening. Much of Central IL will remain in the warm sector of a developing low/storm system off to the WSW. Warm advection will push the high temps on Tuesday into the 60s for a significant portion of Central and Southeastern IL, with upper 60s south of Interstate 70. Thunder chances continue into the evening hours, but so far, the better instability and threat for severe weather is well to the south along the front. Cooler air moves in behind the front, with the region in weakly northwesterly flow throughout the remainder of the forecast. Temps remain below normal with periodic chances for precipitation through the end of the week. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1259 PM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 PIA recently starting getting light snow with 2-2.5 mile vsby and MVFR ceiling 2.5k ft during past hour. This initial band of light snow is further north than earlier forecast models projected. Other central IL airports should see light snow develop during the next 1-2 hours with IFR to MVFR conditions setting in, and possibly lower along I-72 from 21Z-01Z in snow. Thermal profiles show all snow at central IL airports with mixed pcpn south of I-72 in southeast IL. The snow will diminish from ne to se between 00-03Z (7-10 pm), lasting longest at DEC and CMI, as VFR conditions return during mid/late evening and continue through Mon morning. Winds stay fairly light next 24 hours, with north to NNW winds 7-10 kts this afternoon and veering NW later this afternoon and evening and becoming light. Winds then turn SE and increase to around 10 kts after 14Z/9 am Mon morning. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 1 AM CDT Monday for ILZ040>057- 061>063. && UPDATE...07 SHORT TERM...HJS LONG TERM...HJS AVIATION...07
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 ILZ027>031-037-038-021100- Knox-Marshall-McLean-Peoria-Stark-Tazewell-Woodford- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light snow accumulation is possible this afternoon and evening, with generally an inch or less anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ041-021100- Mason- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light snow accumulation is expected this afternoon and evening, with 1 to 3 inch totals common. Flooding will continue along the Illinois River from Havana southward for at least the next several days. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ036-021100- Fulton- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light snow accumulation is possible this afternoon and evening, with generally 2 inches or less anticipated. Flooding will continue along the Illinois River from Havana southward for at least the next several days. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ040-047-049-050-021100- Cass-Morgan-Schuyler-Scott- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light to moderate snow accumulation is expected this afternoon and evening, with 2 to 5 inch totals common. Flooding will continue along the Illinois River from Havana southward for at least the next several days. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ042>046-048-051>057-061>063-021100- Champaign-Christian-Clark-Coles-Cumberland-De Witt-Douglas-Edgar- Logan-Macon-Menard-Moultrie-Piatt-Sangamon-Shelby-Vermilion- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light to moderate snow accumulation is expected this afternoon and evening, with 2 to 5 inch totals common. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ066>068-071>073-021100- Clay-Crawford-Effingham-Jasper-Lawrence-Richland- 1125 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Light snow accumulation is possible late this afternoon and evening, with generally 2 inches or less anticipated. Flooding will continue for the next several days along portions of the Wabash, Little Wabash and Embarras rivers. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. Smith
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Weather observers reported 6 to 7 inches of snow across Schuyler County...including 6.6 inches in Rushville. Numerous traffic accidents occurred due to snow-covered roads.
Weather observers reported 6 to 7 inches of snow across the northern half of Cass County...including 6.8 inches in Beardstown. Numerous traffic accidents occurred due to snow-covered roads.
Weather observers reported 6 to 7 inches of snow across western and southern Mason County...including 7.0 inches in both Easton and Havana. Numerous traffic accidents occurred due to snow-covered roads.
Weather observers reported 6 to 8 inches of snow across Menard County...including 6.0 inches in Petersburg. Numerous traffic accidents occurred due to snow-covered roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2018
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: 746447, 746446, 746448, 746449.