Heavy Snow — Champaign, Illinois

2025-12-13 · Champaign, Illinois

Event narrative

Weather observers measured 5 to 7 inches of snow across Champaign County...including 6.2 inches in Champaign and 6.0 inches two miles north of Homer. Due to snow-covered and slick roadways, numerous traffic accidents occurred.

Wider weather episode

An upper-level disturbance interacting with an advancing Arctic cold front brought a period of heavy snow to central Illinois on December 13th. Despite limited deep-layer moisture, strong synoptic lift and high snow-to-liquid ratios of 15:1 to 20:1 led to enhanced snowfall rates and an efficient accumulation. Storm total snowfall was 3 to 6 inches everywhere north of the I-70 corridor...with as much as 6 to 8 inches occurring along a Canton...to Bloomington...to Danville line. Due to snow-covered and slick roadways, numerous traffic accidents and road closures were reported. A seven-vehicle accident on southbound I-57 in Coles County resulted in the death of a man and the injury of his wife. Meanwhile a separate multi-vehicle crash on I-55 near the Clear Lake exit in Springfield claimed the life of a teenaged girl.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1301692. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.