An upper-level disturbance brought a period of light snow to central Illinois on February 12th. with isolated amounts approaching 4 inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
An upper-level disturbance brought a period of light snow to central Illinois on February 12th. Snow accumulations generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches...with isolated amounts approaching 4 inches. Due to snow-covered and hazardous roadways, several traffic accidents were reported across the area.
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 12, 5:45 AM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Lincoln IL 545 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Snow amounts continue to trend downward with the system slated to impact central Illinois today...with the latest guidance suggesting 2-3 inches along/northwest of a Taylorville to Danville line. - A zone of mixed precipitation is still expected just north of the I-70 corridor today...with ice amounts of one tenth of an inch or less. - After another storm system brings a mix of rain and snow to the region Friday night into Saturday, much colder conditions will arrive and linger through next week. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 327 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 09z/3am water vapor imagery shows a short-wave trough over Colorado/New Mexico...with an area of snow spreading northeastward across Kansas into western Missouri. While the timing of precip arrival remains unchanged from previous forecasts, the latest CAMs have been consistently showing a shorter period of snowfall and thus overall lesser accumulations. The 06z HRRR for example brings the snow into western Illinois between 12z/6am and 15z/9am, then quickly pushes it east of the I-55 corridor by mid-afternoon, followed by just scattered snow-showers for the remainder of the afternoon into the early evening. Given the shorter duration of significant snow, storm totals have decreased...with amounts generally ranging from 2-3 inches along/northwest of a Taylorville to Danville line. There is still some potential for brief mesoscale banding, so a few 4-inch totals are not out of the question across the Illinois River Valley. Since snow amounts will be lower and the snow will be falling during the daylight hours when temperatures are warmest, the overall impacts from the system will not be as significant as once thought. Am still expecting snow-covered and slick roads for the evening commute...especially untreated secondary roads, bridges, and overpasses. Further east/southeast, the elevated warm layer will be significant enough to allow partial to full melting of ice crystals within the profile and thus lead to liquid precip. Based on expected surface temps at or slightly below freezing, the primary zone for icing will set up along a Shelbyville to Paris line where ice amounts of one tenth of an inch or less are anticipated. As temps rise above freezing, mostly rain will occur south of I-70. The precip will quickly wind down this evening, followed by breezy and colder conditions overnight into Thursday. Lows tonight will range from the single digits northwest of the Illinois River to the lower 20s east of the I-57 corridor. Highs on Thursday will mostly be in the lower to middle 20s. Barnes .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 327 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 After chilly early morning lows in the single digits, southerly return flow on the back side of departing high pressure will signal the beginning of a brief warming trend on Friday that will push afternoon highs into the 30s. As a weak system approaches from the northwest and boundary layer moisture increases within the WAA regime, light precip will develop Friday night. The atmosphere will initially be cold enough to support snow, but as temps slowly climb...the snow will mix with and change to mostly rain overnight into Saturday. Once the system passes and NW winds bring colder air back into the region, the precip will mix with and change back to snow Saturday afternoon into Saturday night. A light accumulation will be possible at that time. After that, a significantly colder airmass will settle into the Midwest on Sunday...then will linger for much of next week. Highs will drop into the 20s on Sunday, then will only reach the teens for both Monday and Tuesday. Barnes && .AVIATION... (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Thursday Morning) Issued at 545 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 11z/5am obs show ceilings have lowered to MVFR along/south of a KPPQ...to KDEC...to KPRG line, as well as west of the Illinois River. Based on latest satellite trends, have started the 12z TAFs MVFR at the I-72 terminals, then have spread MVFR into KPIA by 14z and to KBMI by 16z. A large area of snow west of the Mississippi River will spread eastward this morning...reaching KPIA by 14z, then further east to KCMI by 17z. Visibilities will be reduced to around 1 mile for a 2-3 hour window before the heaviest snow shifts east of the terminals and is replaced by lighter snow with visbys of 2-4 miles for the remainder of the afternoon into the early evening. The light snow will then end from southwest to northeast across the area between 01z and 03z. Winds will initially be NE with gusts of 20-25kt early this morning, then will gradually back to N and decrease to around 10kt late this afternoon. Once the system responsible for the snow passes, winds will become NW and increase to 10-15kt late tonight. Barnes && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 3 AM CST Thursday for ILZ027>031-036- 037-040-041. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST Thursday for ILZ038- 042>057-061>063-066. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 434 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>053-131200- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler- Mason-Logan-De Witt-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon-Christian- Macon- 434 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A storm system will spread snow across the area today into this evening. Storm total snowfall will range from 2 to 3 inches...with isolated amounts up to 4 inches in the Illinois River Valley. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Colder air will arrive in the wake of the Wednesday storm system, resulting in sub-zero wind-chill values both Thursday and Friday morning. Another storm system will bring a rain/snow mix to the region Friday night through Saturday night...followed by sharply colder conditions by early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ044>046-131200- Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion- 434 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A storm system will spread snow across the area today into this evening. Patchy freezing rain will be possible as well. Storm total snowfall will range from 1 to 2 inches...with a light glaze of ice. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Colder air will arrive in the wake of the Wednesday storm system, resulting in single digit wind-chill values both Thursday and Friday morning. Another storm system will bring a rain/snow mix to the region Friday night through Saturday night...followed by sharply colder conditions by early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ054>057-061>063-066-131200- Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby-Cumberland-Clark-Effingham- 434 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A storm system will spread wintry precipitation into the area today into this evening. A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain is expected near and just north of the I-70 corridor. While snowfall amounts will remain minor, a light glaze of ice of one tenth of an inch or less is likely. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Colder air will arrive in the wake of the Wednesday storm system, resulting in single digit wind-chill values both Thursday and Friday morning. Another storm system will bring a rain/snow mix to the region Friday night through Saturday night...followed by sharply colder conditions by early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ067-068-071>073-131200- Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 434 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. A storm system will bring a rain/snow mix to the region Friday night through Saturday night...followed by sharply colder conditions by early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. Barnes
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Cass County...including 1.6 inches 3 miles south-southeast of Bluff Springs. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Fulton County...including 3.0 inches in Canton. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Schuyler County...including 1.5 inches 4 miles south-southwest of Ray. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Scott County. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Knox County...including 2.0 inches in Galesburg. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Morgan County...including 1.5 inches in Jacksonville. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Peoria County...including 1.4 inches 5 miles northwest of Peoria. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Marshall County...including 2.5 inches in Lacon. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Mason County. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Menard County...including 1.4 inches 1 mile north of Petersburg. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Stark County. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Tazewell County...including 3.0 inches 3 miles north-northwest of Groveland. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
Weather observers measured 1 to 3 inches of snow across Woodford County...including 2.0 inches in Eureka. Due to snow-covered roadways, several traffic accidents were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2025
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: 1231668, 1231670, 1231693, 1231696, 1231671, 1231683, 1231689, 1231673, 1231674, 1231678, 1231699, 1231704, 1231709.