Heavy Snow in Massac, Illinois

A major winter storm caused snow to quickly spread across southern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours on the 18th as a low-pressure system developed down south. The onset brought a burst of light to moderate snow that rapidly accumulated on all surfaces with temperatures mainly in the teens. Snow eventually tapered off during the pre-dawn hours on the 19th. Peak accumulations ranged from 6 to 8 inches with the heaviest snowfall across portions of Union, Johnson, and Pope County. A sharp gradient led to less snowfall along the I-64 corridor where only 1 to 3 inches of snow fell. Poor visibility below 1 mile caused parts of I-57 to briefly close overnight due to treacherous road conditions and several traffic accidents, but no known serious injuries or fatalities occurred. Wind gusts around 25 mph also led to blowing and drifting snow that made measuring challenging. Key Impacts: transportation delays, traffic accidents.