Winter Weather in Knox, Illinois

Blowing snow and strong wind gusts had produced blizzard conditions across Knox County during the evening of Sunday, March 15, through the afternoon of Monday, March 16. Blizzard criteria was no longer being met as of mid-afternoon on Monday, March 16, but patchy blowing snow and slick roadways continued, resulting in hazardous travel conditions. Portions of I-74 north of Galesburg remained closed into the evening due to accidents. Conditions gradually improved into the evening of Monday, March 16, as the winds weakened.

A 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. Snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches occurred across Knox and Stark counties, with lesser amounts to the south and east. Strong westerly wind gusts of 40-50 mph led to blowing snow and reduced visibility at times from Sunday evening through the day on Monday, March 16. This led to hazardous travel conditions, with numerous accidents and some road closures reported. The impacts were most pronounced on north-south roads.