Winter Weather — Jefferson, Illinois

2010-12-12 · Jefferson, Illinois

Wider weather episode

The first blast of winter weather followed a strong cold front that swept rapidly east across the Mississippi and Lower Ohio Valleys. Behind the front, widespread snow showers and very windy conditions produced difficult travel conditions. Northwest winds ranged from 20 to 30 mph with higher gusts. Peak gusts were as high as 40 mph at Carbondale, 45 mph at Harrisburg, and 47 mph at Carmi. Snow accumulated from one to four inches across southern Illinois. The lowest amounts were an inch or less near the Mississippi River, including the city of Cairo. Widespread amounts from 2 to 3 inches covered most of southern Illinois. A narrow axis of 4-inch amounts extended from Mount Carmel (Wabash County) west-southwest across Interstate 64 to around Benton (Franklin County). There was a pocket of 4 to 6 inches in Johnson County. The snow came down rather heavily at times during the morning, reducing visibility to around one-half mile for a couple hours. Roads became snow-covered and slippery, resulting in numerous accidents. The White County sheriff department handled about 50 vehicle slide-offs and accidents. One sheriff vehicle was struck at the scene of an accident. A tractor-trailer rig crashed on Interstate 64 near the Indiana state line, injuring the driver. A separate accident involving a car that slid off the interstate resulted in one injury. That stretch of Interstate 64 was described as a sheet of ice. The previous day's rainfall was frozen beneath the snow, making roads extremely slick. In Johnson County, a dispatcher reported 15 calls from motorists within two hours. About six of those calls involved property-damage accidents. Several accidents occurred in Hardin County. Strong winds caused blowing and drifting that produced slippery spots well after the snow ended. Visibility was sharply reduced by blowing snow in open farm country. In Jefferson County, a man died in a single-vehicle accident on northbound Interstate 57 on the south edge of Mount Vernon. State police reported zero visibility created by blowing snow contributed to the fatal rollover crash. Dozens of vehicles slid off roads in Franklin County due to blowing and drifting snow. Three people were injured in a wreck on Route 14 in Franklin County that was caused by poor visibility in blowing snow. Drifts of one to two feet were reported in unobstructed open country, specifically in Edwards County in the Wabash Valley. Minor accidents and stranded motorists kept police busy well into the night. Schools were closed the following day in some areas.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 266726. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.