Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Shelby, Illinois

2024-01-13 to 2024-01-14 · Shelby, Illinois

Event narrative

Brisk northwesterly winds in conjunction with air temperatures dipping below zero resulted in dangerously cold wind-chill values bottoming out at 25 below to 35 below zero at times.

Wider weather episode

As a deepening area of low pressure lifted northeastward into the Great Lakes, strong northwesterly winds gusting over 40mph brought sharply colder air into central Illinois during the night of January 12th. Temperatures plunged into the single digits above zero by the morning of January 13th, then didn't climb back into the teens until the afternoon of January 17th. The coldest day during this period was January 14th when high temperatures remained below zero and overnight lows plummeted into the teens below zero everywhere north of the I-70 corridor. Record cold high temperatures were established at many sites: including -5 at Peoria, -3 at Springfield, and -3 at Lincoln. Winds were strongest immediately behind the departing system into January 13th, but remained a factor until air temperatures gradually warmed. The resulting wind-chill values dropped as low as -25 to -35 at times, creating extremely dangerous conditions for anyone venturing outdoors. An 85 year-old woman from Pekin in Tazewell County died on January 16th as a result of hypothermia.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1155053. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.