Blizzard in Illinois
Every blizzard event the National Weather Service has filed in Illinois, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
The most significant on the map
The most significant blizzard episodes in Illinois.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 240
- Deaths
- 21
- Injuries
- 5
- Damage
- $4.4 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Blizzard in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2011A powerful and enormous winter storm moved across northern Illinois with blizzard conditions across much of the area which paralayzed the region.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2011A powerful storm system tracking from the southern Plains into the Great Lakes brought a wide variety of wintry precipitation to central and southeast Illinois on Februray 1st into the 2nd.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Illinois, December 12 to 13, 2010An intense area of low pressure tracked from Iowa into the eastern Great Lakes on Sunday, December 12th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Illinois, February 12 to 13, 2007One of the most significant snowstorms in nearly a decade struck central Illinois on February 13, producing blizzard conditions in many locations.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Illinois, February 24, 2016A powerful winter storm system impacted parts of central and southeast Illinois on February 24th, bringing snow and strong winds. Low pressure tracked from east Texas during the evening of February 23rd to Ohio by the evening of the 24th.
- Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Illinois, March 2 to 3, 2007A narrow band of moderate to heavy snow fell across central DeKalb County into Kane County and extreme northwest Cook County during the afternoon of March 2nd. Wind gusts ranged between 35 and 45 mph. DeKalb measured 6.0 inches of snowfall, St.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2011The first true blizzard in many years hit West Central and parts of Southwest Illinois. Up to 22 inches of snow fell along with winds gusting over 40 mph. For many counties it was a record snowfall event.
- Blizzard in Illinois, December 20, 2012A deepening area of low pressure tracking from the southern Plains toward the Great Lakes brought snow and high winds to central Illinois on December 20th.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in Illinois, February 25 to 26, 2007A mixed precipitation event developed over northern Illinois on February 25th. Only far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border remained mainly snow.
- Blizzard in Illinois, February 13, 2007Heavy snow fell across northern Illinois on February 13th with some areas receiving over one foot of snow. In addition, wind gusts were frequently blowing at or above 35 mph, creating blizzard and whiteout conditions across many areas.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2015The 16.2 inches recorded at O'Hare just during the hours of February 1st (out of 19.3 inches total) were the most ever for any February day in Chicago.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Illinois, March 21, 2006A major winter storm impacted central Illinois on the 21st. A swath of heavy snow fell across much of the region with 6 to 10 inch snowfall totals common.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Illinois, March 24, 2013A spring snowstorm hit on Palm Sunday, 3/24/2013. 6 to 16 inches of snow fell across the region. The heaviest snow fell from parts of Calhoun County, east across Jersey, Macoupin and into Montgomery County. This area picked up from 12 to 16 inches of snow.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Illinois, December 21 to 24, 2022A strong winter storm brought widespread snow to the region Thursday, with widespread amounts between 1 to 4 inches. Strong winds also accompanied the snow, which caused significant blowing and drifting, especially in rural areas.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Illinois, December 11 to 12, 2010A blizzard struck portions of eastern Iowa and western Illinois on December 11-12, 2010. A strong upper level disturbance and powerful jet stream began diving out of the northern Rockies. Low pressure then formed across the northern Plains and tracked into western Iowa.
- Blizzard in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2011A tremendous blizzard, one of the worst in memory, impacted much of the region on February 1-2, 2011, as deep low pressure tracked from Texas to southern Indiana. Snowfall totals ranged from 10 to 20 inches with drifts as high as 7 feet.
- Blizzard in Illinois, December 19 to 20, 2012A powerful storm system moved from the Southern Plains on Wednesday morning into Michigan by early Friday morning. This brought a wide array of weather to northwest Illinois through the period.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Illinois, November 25 to 26, 2018A strong low pressure system moved from Kansas into Central Illinois bringing heavy snows of 4 to 13 inches to the area. Strong north winds gusted to 40 to 50 mph and combined with the heavy snow to produce widespread blizzard conditions.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Illinois, March 15 to 16, 2026A large storm system moved across the Midwest March 15 to the 16th, initially bringing rain and thunderstorms to the area on the morning of the 15th. This storm system intensified rapidly into the evening drawing much colder air into the region.
- Blizzard in Illinois, December 21, 2008Blizzard conditions developed during the early morning of December 21st and continued through the early evening hours. Many areas received new snowfall of 1 to 2 inches during the evening of December 20th.
- Blizzard in Illinois, December 11, 2000A major winter storm developed in the Texas Panhandle and moved northeast through southern Illinois and northeast Indiana on December 11, bringing blizzard conditions to much of northeast Illinois.
- Blizzard in Illinois, December 21, 2008A powerful arctic cold front swept across the region on December 20-21, 2008. Ahead of the front, 1 to 3 inches of fluffy snow fell during the afternoon of December 20. The snow was confined to locations in Iowa and Illinois along and north of Interstate 80.
- Blizzard in Illinois, November 25 to 26, 2018A deepening area of low pressure tracked from southeast Kansas during the early morning of November 25th to northwest Ohio by the morning of November 26th.
- Blizzard in Illinois, November 25 to 26, 2018A strong area of low pressure tracked east across Kansas, Missouri, and central Illinois on November 25th, bringing heavy snowfall and gusty winds to the region.
- Blizzard in Illinois, March 15 to 16, 2026A strong low pressure system (987 mb) moved across Illinois on Sunday, March 15, 2026, sending a robust cold front sweeping across the state during the evening. Following the cold frontal passage, much colder air moved into the region, resulting in rain changing to snow.
More
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 2026-09-24.