Illinois, 2026

Dense Fog in Illinois, January 8, 2026

January 8, 2026 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Southerly winds advected warm moist air northward from Arkansas/Tennessee, resulting in dense fog across most of the southern two rows of counties in Southern Illinois early morning on the 8th. Daytime heating began to lower RHs below 100%, allowing for slow improvement in visibility mid-morning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 PAH wrote it up.

Southerly winds advected warm moist air northward from Arkansas/Tennessee, resulting in dense fog across most of the southern two rows of counties in Southern Illinois early morning on the 8th. Daytime heating began to lower RHs below 100%, allowing for slow improvement in visibility mid-morning.

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 8, 2:02 AM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 8, 2:02 AM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 8, 2:22 AM CST, 1 hour 38 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

6 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Alexander

When
January 8, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where
Alexander forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pulaski

When
January 8, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Massac

When
January 8, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Massac forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Union

When
January 8, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Johnson

When
January 8, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pope

When
January 8, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Pope forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dense Fog
Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 2026

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1311268, 1311269, 1311270, 1311271, 1311272, 1311273.