Illinois, 2019

Heavy Snow in Illinois, April 27, 2019

April 27, 2019 · NWS DVN · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A narrow swath of accumulating wet snow developed on April 27th during the day, and continued into the early evening hours. Most of this snow melted on contact with the ground over northeast Iowa and northern Illinois, but in northern sections of Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties, 4 to 7 inches of snow fell, and accumulated mainly on grass.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 narrow swath of accumulating wet snow developed on April 27th during the day, and continued into the early evening hours. Most of this snow melted on contact with the ground over northeast Iowa and northern Illinois, but in northern sections of Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties, 4 to 7 inches of snow fell, and accumulated mainly on grass. Despite these snow amounts, the roads were mainly wet to slush covered during the event. However, the heavy snow did result in an extended period of very low visibility and dangerous travel in far northwest Illinois.

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 27, 6:06 AM CST, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 6:06 AM CST, 54 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

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Jo Daviess

When
April 27, 7:00 AM CST to 5:45 PM CST
Where
Jo Daviess forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A National Weather Service COOP observer reported 6 inches of wet snow accumulation on grassy surfaces, 3 miles north of Stockton, Illinois.

Heavy Snow, Stephenson

When
April 27, 7:00 AM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Stephenson forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A public report of 7 inches of snow in Lena, Illinois was received through social media, including photos of the snow event.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2019

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 817150, 817151.