3-day snowfall across the Midwest, ending 8 am Thursday, February 3. Click image to enlarge.
Note:The above graphic provides an overview of snowfall observations taken from official and supplemental sources.
For official snowfall amounts please see images below.
Quick Links: Overview, Local Impacts, Snowfall Records, Reported Winds, Observed Totals
| A widespread and unusually significant snowstorm affected a large part of the Midwest as February began. Excessive snowfall totals of a foot were common in a large area from Oklahoma northeast to Michigan (see image above), and were in excess of 2 feet in some areas. After passage through the Midwest, the storm system moved on to affect New England. Several locations had snowfall approaching or exceeding all-time records. Blizzard conditions were widespread.
This page focuses on impacts across central and southeast Illinois. Information for other areas is available at these links:
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 National watch, warning, and advisory map from Tuesday morning, February 1. Winter storm warnings were in effect from New Mexico to Maine (pink shades); the red shades indicate blizzard warnings, which extended from central Oklahoma to southern Michigan. (click image to enlarge) |
Computer models began to latch onto the idea of a major snowstorm about a week in advance, although there was significant differences as to the exact placement. The models began to converge in their solutions by the weekend of January 29-30, and suggested snowfall in excess of a foot over a large area. The critical item was determining the exact track of the low, as this would dictate which areas received excessive snowfall, and which areas would see a risk of significant amounts of freezing rain. By Sunday morning (January 30), winter storm watches were issued over a large part of the Midwest. In central Illinois, the heavy snow focus was along and west of I-55, while east central Illinois would likely see a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow, keeping overall snow accumulations lower. Ice accumulations of a quarter to 3/4 inch were forecast for southeast Illinois, along and south of I-70.
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Blizzard warnings were issued in central Illinois, mainly along and west of I-55, by early Monday afternoon, a good 18 to 24 hours before the storm began. Winter storm warrnings were issued across east central and southeast Illinois. These warnings were in effect from early Tuesday morning through midday Wednesday. Model projections from the Tuesday morning model runs are depicted above (click images to enlarge).
The track of the storm system is depicted in the images below (click images to enlarge).
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Central and Southeast Illinois Impacts:
Snowfall totals of a foot or more were widespread from the I-55 corridor westward into Missouri and Iowa. Near and west of the Illinois River, totals of 15 to 20 inches were common. The bulk of the snow fell over a period from mid morning Tuesday (February 1) to early morning Wednesday (February 2). During the height of the storm Tuesday evening, several thunderstorms were reported, which heightened the snow accumulation even further. In Peoria, the snow was falling at the rate of 2 to 3 inches in an hour late Tuesday evening due to the thunderstorms.
East of I-55, the precipitation quickly transitioned to a mixture of sleet, freezing rain, and snow, due to warm air aloft. Excessive amounts of sleet were reported in some areas, such as Tuscola and Taylorville (4 inches), as well as Danville (3 inches). Overall sleet and snow totals in this area ranged from 4 to 7 inches.
In areas closer to the I-70 corridor, freezing rain was the primary precipitation type on Tuesday, with ice accumulating from half to 3/4 of an inch thick. Many areas reported damage to tree branches and power lines due to the ice. The ice began to melt during the evening, as surface temperatures rose above freezing with the approach of the parent low. The snow in this area, which accumulated as cold air spread into the area after midnight Tuesday night, only accumulated an inch or two.
Northeast winds gusted from 45 to 60 mph across much of central Illinois Tuesday afternoon and evening. As the parent low pressure moved northeast toward west central Indiana late in the evening, the winds shifted around to the northwest, and gusted from 35 to 50 mph the remainder of the night. Gusts of 35 to 45 mph or higher continued into midday Wednesday. These winds caused near zero visibility due to blowing snow. Snowplows had great difficulty keeping up as the roads would drift shut as soon as they were cleared, and in some cases plowing crews were called off the roads Tuesday night until the worst had passed. Road closures included I-74 between Galesburg and Peoria, all of I-155, and I-39 between Bloomington and Rockford.
The following locations in central Illinois established all-time 24-hour snowfall records. The snowfall totals run from approximately 7 am Tuesday, February 1, through 7 am Wednesday, February 2. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) certified these records as official.
| Location | County | Snow Total | Old 24-Hour Record |
| Winchester | Scott | 18 inches | 13 inches (Feb. 28, 1900) |
| Princeville | Peoria | 17 inches (tie) | 17 inches (Jan. 1, 1999) |
| Havana | Mason | 16 inches | 14.6 inches (Dec. 1, 2006) |
| Galesburg | Knox | 15 inches | 11 inches (April 11, 1997) 11 inches (Feb. 18, 1908) |
| Bradford | Stark | 15 inches | 12 inches (Dec. 1, 2006) |
| Toulon | Stark | 14.8 inches | 12 inches (Dec. 1, 2006) |
| Mackinaw | Tazewell | 13.6 inches | 11 inches (Dec. 19, 1973) |
| Beardstown | Cass | 13.5 inches | 12 inches (Jan. 30, 1939) |
| Bloomington | McLean | 13.1 inches | 9 inches (Jan. 13, 1964) |
| Jacksonville | Morgan | 12 inches (tie) | 12 inches (Feb. 28, 1900) |
| Mason City | Mason | 10 inches | 9 inches (Feb. 1, 2008) |
Official Cooperative Observer
Official Storm Total Snowfall Map Freezing Rain/Sleet Map
(click image to enlarge) (click image to enlarge)
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Official Cooperative Observer Snow Totals |
Mesonet Snow Totals (unofficial data) ** Denotes NWS-verified observations...consider official |
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INCHES LOCATION COUNTY |
INCHES LOCATION COUNTY
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Official Cooperative Observer Sleet and Freezing Rain Totals |
Mesonet Freezing Rain Totals (unofficial data) |
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Sleet Totals:
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Sleet Totals: |
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Freezing Rain Totals: INCHES LOCATION COUNTY
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Freezing Rain Totals: INCHES LOCATION COUNTY |
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