A slow-moving cold front dropped southward through central Illinois on February 1st, bringing an end to a period of unseasonably warm temperatures in the 40s and lower 50s. Several waves of low pressure tracked along the boundary, producing widespread precipitation across the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 35 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 slow-moving cold front dropped southward through central Illinois on February 1st, bringing an end to a period of unseasonably warm temperatures in the 40s and lower 50s. Several waves of low pressure tracked along the boundary, producing widespread precipitation across the region. The precipitation started as rain, then transitioned to wet snow along and north of a Quincy to Lincoln line by the late evening of February 1st. Snow developed southward to just north of I-70 by daybreak on February 2nd, then to locations south of I-70 by the late afternoon and evening of the 2nd. Once the snow tapered off and came to an end by the evening of February 3rd, widespread totals of 6 to 10 inches were observed everywhere north of I-70...with a heavier swath of snow exceeding 12 inches from a Minonk to Beardstown line northeastward to the Indiana border. Along and south of I-70, mixed phase precipitation occurred. Snow totals of 6 to 8 inches were common along I-70, but tapered off to 3 to 5 inches further south. Ice accumulations were focused along I-70, where amounts of two tenths to as much as three tenths of an inch were reported. In addition to the snow, strong northerly winds gusting as high as 30 to 40mph caused considerable blowing and drifting snow, which led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents across central Illinois.
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 1, 5:54 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 554 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 325 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 A powerhouse winter storm system will bring multiple hazards to the state of Illinois tonight through Thursday afternoon. Consider altering your travel plans if you haven't already. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) ISSUED AT 325 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 We rarely issue a winter storm warning for every one of our 35 counties, but that has occurred with this next system. Regardless of the final number tally for snow, sleet, and icing, this system will have a significant impact for several days. We have not altered the snow, sleet, and icing numbers all that much from this mornings forecast. We are still expecting two main periods of snow. One tonight through Wednesday afternoon, and another later Wed night through Thursday afternoon, but focused in the southern half of our forecast area. We trimmed the top end a little, but 5 to 15 inches of snow are all in play for the winter storm warning area. The 5" is for far NW Knox County, with the 8 to 15" band across a large portion of the middle of our forecast area, roughly between the IL river and I-72. In the short term, scattered rain showers are already affecting a sizable portion of our forecast area. The highest coverage is in our NW counties as the cold front nears the Illinois River Valley. Forecast soundings indicate a transition from rain to snow/sleet may start to take place towards Galesburg before 6 pm. Some dry air also arriving behind the front could cause a pause in the precip as evaporative cooling also works to transition the precipitation to snow/sleet. The wet bulb temps are below zero just to our NW, so air temps could drop below freezing before rain changes to snow. Light icing could develop on elevated surfaces for a bit. However, snow should quickly become the dominant precip type for areas NW of a line from Rushville to Bloomington as the evening progresses. After midnight, the transition zone will continue to shift to the SE. It will generally stall out between I-72 and I-70 before sunrise on Wednesday. There are some indications of FGEN and CSI combos creating some banded snowfall in our NW counties, roughly from Quincy to Peoria. In addition, jet dynamics above the upper Midwest will support unusually strong UVV motions in other portions of our CWA. Snowfall rates tonight into Wed morning could reach up between 1-2" per hour. GFS/NAM/HRRR/HREF are all pointing toward snowfall rates in that range being possible. The first wave of snow could produce snowfall totals up to 6 inches already by daybreak Wed. Additional snowfall during the day on Wed could be 3 to 6", but shifted a bit southward from the IL river. NW winds will increase on Wed, creating significant blowing and drifting snow, especially during the afternoon. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) ISSUED AT 325 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 A lull in the precipitation is indicated Wednesday evening, especially for areas north of I-72 where the dry air intrusion will be most prominent. Areas south of I-72 could see light precipitation continue, as any lingering rain transitions to freezing rain or sleet. The potential of icing from freezing rain will be highest for areas south of I-70, where between one and two tenths of an inch of icing will be possible. A transition to snow is expected even in our SE counties, with a round of moderate to heavy snowfall possible during the day on Thursday. The northern edge of the Thursday wave of snow could reach as far north as Peoria, where an additional inch or two of snowfall may accumulate. There is a little uncertainty with that portion of the event. However, even our SE counties will have the chance of 5 to 8 inches of snowfall as the system winds down Thursday evening. The other main concern is the potential need for a Blizzard Warning on Thursday, as the strongest winds during this event occur during the afternoon. Gusts of 30 to 40 mph will blow the snow, creating white-out conditions at times, especially for roads in open areas. We held off on changing the headline to a Blizzard with this update, but this will be a concern going forward depending on the actual snowfall amounts. Impacts from this two day system will continue into Friday, as the strong northerly winds cause drifting snow well after precipitation ends. Very cold conditions wind chills are forecast for Thursday night and Friday night, with readings of -5 to -15F in most of our CWA. Dry conditions are forecast for Friday through next Tuesday, but temps will remain below normal, especially with the deep snowpack in place. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 554 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 Rain is already ongoing with cigs and vis falling into MVFR and IFR category. IFR and LIFR conditions will occur at all sites this evening as the rain changes to snow. Vis will drop to 1/4 or 1/2 mile with cigs below 600 ft in moderate and heavy snowfall. This will continue into the morning hours with some letup in the afternoon at some sites. SPI, DEC, CMI and BMI will see light snow continuing in afternoon with cigs still below 1kft. PIA will see more of a letup with vis around 3sm and cigs above 1kft. Winds at most sites have already become northerly as the front drops through the area. Winds will become gusty as well as it continues to move south and continue through tomorrow. Precip will go from rain to mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow for couple of hours before changing to all snow late this evening or just after midnight. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 710 AM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 Last occurrence of 12" snow or greater over a 48 hr period: Peoria: February 1-2, 2011 (15") Bloomington: February 16-17, 2021 (12.8") Champaign: February 14, 2007 (12") Springfield: March 24-25, 2013 (18.5") Lincoln: February 1-2, 2011 (12") Decatur: March 24-25, 2013 (13") Effingham: January 6-7, 2014 (12") Shovel responsibly. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 6 AM Wednesday to midnight CST Thursday night for ILZ067-068-071>073. Winter Storm Warning from 9 PM this evening to 6 PM CST Thursday for ILZ027>031-036>038-040>051-053. Winter Storm Warning from midnight tonight to 6 PM CST Thursday for ILZ052-054>057-061>063-066. && SYNOPSIS...Shimon SHORT TERM...Shimon LONG TERM...Shimon AVIATION...Auten
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 328 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>051-053-021200- Cass-Champaign-De Witt-Fulton-Knox-Logan-Macon-Marshall-Mason- McLean-Menard-Morgan-Peoria-Piatt-Sangamon-Schuyler-Scott-Stark- Tazewell-Vermilion-Woodford- 328 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois, east central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Rain will transition to snow west of the Illinois River Valley late this afternoon, then spread southeast toward I-55 during mid to late evening, and to I-72 during overnight. Snow will become heavy at times, significantly reducing visibility and making travel treacherous. Between 3 and 5 inches of snow is expected by sunrise Wednesday. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... Bursts of heavy snow will continue through Wednesday before diminishing northwest of the IL river Wednesday night and south near I-72 by midday Thursday. Traveling will become difficult if not impossible due to heavy snow and gusty winds. Periods of blowing and drifting snow are also likely Wednesday into Thursday occasional wind gusts 25 to 35 mph. Additional snowfall is likely late Wednesday night into Thursday morning with breezy conditions again making for blizzard-like conditions. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches northwest of the IL river, with 10 to 15 inches along and southeast of the IL river. Very cold temperatures will follow the storm system with overnight lows approaching zero on both Thursday night and Friday night. Wind chill values will fall to around ten below zero at times. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated, but snowfall reports are requested. ILZ052-054>057-061>063-066-021200- Christian-Clark-Coles-Cumberland-Douglas-Edgar-Effingham-Moultrie- Shelby- 328 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Illinois, east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Rain through this evening, will transition to mixed precipitation during overnight, including sleet and freezing rain. A light glaze of ice and less than 1 inch of snow and sleet is possible by dawn Wednesday. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... Mixed precipitation of snow, sleet and freezing rain Wednesday morning will turn to all snow Wednesday afternoon. Bursts of heavy snow will occur Wednesday and again overnight Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before diminishing during Thursday afternoon. Periods of blowing and drifting snow are also likely Wednesday afternoon into Thursday with occasional wind gusts near 35 mph. Travel will become very difficult if not impossible due to heavy snow and gusty winds Wednesday into Thursday. Total snowfall accumulations of 10 to 15 inches is possible by Thursday afternoon. Very cold temperatures will follow the storm system with overnight lows approaching zero on both Thursday night and Friday night. Wind chill values will fall between five and ten below zero. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated, but snowfall reports are requested. ILZ067-068-071>073-021200- Clay-Crawford-Jasper-Lawrence-Richland- 328 PM CST Tue Feb 1 2022 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST THURSDAY NIGHT... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... No hazardous weather expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... Heavy rainfall is expected through Wednesday afternoon for locations south of Interstate 70. Minor flooding is expected due to excessive run-off from frozen soils. Rain will transition to a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow Wednesday afternoon and evening, and then to all snow overnight Wednesday night into Thursday. Heavy snow will then spread south of Interstate 70 late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with significant snowfall likely. Periods of blowing and drifting snow are likely Thursday and Thursday evening as winds occasionally gust near 30 mph. Up to a tenth inch of ice is possible. Snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches is likely by Thursday evening, with locally higher amounts along and north of I-70. Traveling will become difficult if not impossible later Wednesday into Thursday evening especially from I-70 north where heavier snows fall. Very cold temperatures will follow the storm system with overnight lows falling into the single digits Friday night with wind chill values near zero. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated, but snow and ice reports are requested. 07
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
30 winter storm, 5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Knox County...including 9.2 inches in Yates City and 6.0 inches in Galesburg. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Fulton County...including 10.0 inches in Canton, 9.0 inches in Astoria, and 6.0 inches in Avon. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Marshall County...including 8.0 inches in Lacon and 7.0 inches in Henry. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Peoria County...including 11.0 inches in Dunlap, 10.6 inches in Peoria, and 8.6 inches 5 miles northwest of Peoria. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Stark County. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Schuyler County...including 10.0 inches in Rushville. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Cass County, including 12.8 inches 3 miles southeast of Bluff Springs. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across DeWitt County...including 11.9 inches 0.4 miles west-southwest of Clinton and 10.0 inches in Lane. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Logan County...including 11.5 inches in Mount Pulaski and 11.0 inches at the National Weather Service office in Lincoln. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Mason County. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across McLean County...including 13.5 inches 2 miles north of Downs, 12.8 inches 2.7 miles northeast of Bloomington, and 12.0 inches 2 miles north of Towanda. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Menard County...including 10.2 inches 6.5 miles south-southeast of Petersburg and 8.5 inches 1 mile west of Athens. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Morgan County...including 8.9 inches 2 miles east of Jacksonville and 7.0 inches in Jacksonville. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Scott County. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Tazewell County...including 10.0 inches 3 miles south-southeast of Germantown Hills, 9.7 inches 3.6 miles south-southeast of Pekin, and 8.6 inches in Morton. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Woodford County...including 14.0 inches in Minonk and 10.0 inches in Roanoke. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Sangamon County...including 13.5 inches 3 miles northwest of Springfield, 12.2 inches in Sherman, 12.0 inches in Springfield, and 9.0 inches in Buffalo. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Macon County...including 13.0 inches in Macon, 12.0 inches in Warrensburg, and 11.8 inches in Forsyth. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Piatt County...including 9.5 inches 2 miles northeast of Cisco and 6.8 inches 3 miles west-southwest of Mansfield. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Moultrie County...including 9.9 inches in Lovington and 5.8 inches 3 miles south of Sullivan. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Champaign County...including 15.0 inches in Tolono, 13.0 inches 2.5 miles southwest of Champaign, and 9.8 inches in Ogden. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Douglas County...including 12.5 inches in Newman and 9.5 inches in Tuscola. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Coles County...including 8.5 inches 0.8 miles southeast of Charleston and 6.0 inches 4.7 miles south-southwest of Charleston. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 8 to 15 inches of snow across Vermilion County...including 15.0 inches in Danville, 13.1 inches 0.1 miles north-northwest of Georgetown, 11.0 inches 3 miles west of Bismarck, and 9.6 inches 4 miles north of Sidell. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Edgar County...including 8.0 inches in Brocton and 6.5 inches in Paris. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow across Shelby County...including 10.0 inches in Windsor, 7.5 inches 4 miles northwest of Mode, and 6.0 inches 1.5 miles east of Shelbyville. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 12 inches of snow across Christian County...including 11.0 inches 2.5 miles west of Taylorville, 10.7 inches in Pana, and 9.5 inches 3 miles west of Edinburg. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 8 inches of snow and around one quarter of an inch of ice across Clark County. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 8 inches of snow and an ice accumulation of two to three tenths an inch across Effingham County...including 8.0 inches of snow in Altamont and 8.0 inches of snow 2 miles north-northwest of Effingham. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 6 to 10 inches of snow and around one quarter of an inch of ice across Cumberland County. The heavy snow accumulations and considerable blowing and drifting snow led to road closures and numerous traffic accidents.
Weather observers measured 3 to 5 inches of snow across Clay County...including 5.0 inches in Flora and 4.8 inches 6 miles south-southeast of Clay City. The snowfall created hazardous driving conditions, which led to several traffic accidents across the area.
Weather observers measured 4 to 7 inches of snow across Jasper County...including 6.8 inches 1.1 miles west of Newton and 4.5 inches 0.1 miles south-southwest of Yale. The snowfall created hazardous driving conditions, which led to several traffic accidents across the area.
Weather observers measured 3 to 6 inches of snow across Crawford County...including 5.5 inches in Hutsonville and 4.5 inches 2 miles west of Robinson. The snowfall created hazardous driving conditions, which led to several traffic accidents across the area.
Weather observers measured 3 to 6 inches of snow across Richland County...including 5.9 inches 2 miles south of Olney. The snowfall created hazardous driving conditions, which led to several traffic accidents across the area.
Weather observers measured 3 to 5 inches of snow across Lawrence County...including 5.1 inches 1 mile west of Lawrenceville and 3.5 inches 1 mile southwest of Bridgeport. The snowfall created hazardous driving conditions, which led to several traffic accidents across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2022
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: 1007290, 1007889, 1007892, 1007905, 1007917, 1007912, 1007286, 1007885, 1007890, 1007895, 1007898, 1007900, 1007902, 1007913, 1007920, 1007922, 1007911, 1007894, 1007907, 1007904, 1007287, 1007886, 1007288, 1007921, 1007887, 1007915, 1007942, 1007289, 1007888, 1007944, 1007929, 1007931, 1007930, 1007937, 1007935.