Winter Storm — Union, Illinois

2004-12-22 to 2004-12-23 · Union, Illinois

Wider weather episode

A major winter storm dumped from 10 to 20 inches of snow across most of southern Illinois, clogging interstates and shutting down most businesses near the peak of the Christmas shopping season. The heaviest snowfall, from 14 to 20 inches, occurred along an axis from Anna (Union County) through Harrisburg (Saline County) to the lower Wabash Valley. Snowfall was not quite as heavy from Fairfield (in Wayne County) west across Mount Vernon to Du Quoin (Perry County), where amounts were mostly from 6 to 9 inches. On the north side of Anna in Union County, a man was killed and another man was injured when an awning on a VFW Post collapsed on them. The two men were standing under the 12-by-30 foot awning when it collapsed. The weight of the compacted snow, which fell several days earlier, caused the metal roof to totally collapse over the men. The other end of the awning remained partially standing. A crew of 15 to 20 rescuers took about 30 minutes to extricate the men. In Johnson County, the roof of a hardware store and a horse arena collapsed under the weight of the snow and ice. Portions of Interstates 57, 64, and 24 were extremely difficult to travel. Numerous abandoned vehicles and jack-knifed semis blocked portions of these highways, however, none were officially closed. Interstate 64 was closed at the Indiana state line. The near blizzard conditions stranded many interstate travelers in hotels, and some hotels on Interstates 64 and 57 were totally filled. State police took some stranded motorists to an emergency shelter at the Marion Senior Citizens Center, where at least 8 people spent the night. Gusty north winds from 15 to 25 MPH with a few gusts to 35 MPH caused blowing and drifting. The snow fell in two waves, the first during the late night and early morning, and the second from mid-afternoon through about midnight. The early morning burst produced an estimated 8 to 10 inches along an axis from Cape Girardeau, MO northeastward across Marion to Harrisburg. The second and more prolonged period of heavy snow dumped an additional 8 to 10 inches at Harrisburg. A state of emergency was declared in Gallatin and Edwards Counties, where non-essential travel was banned. There were reports of plows and other snow removal equipment stuck in drifts. Most travel, including that by police and other emergency workers, was done in four-wheel drive vehicles. Five-foot drifts in open, rural areas made roads impassable even to some off-road vehicles. Mail delivery was suspended in most areas for at least one day. For a few days, many stores were out of certain items due to delayed deliveries. A state disaster declaration was issued for those counties generally from the Marion/Carbondale area east and south, including the Wabash Valley. Those areas received more snow than is normal for the entire winter. Specific preliminary snowfall reports from co-operative observers included: 14 inches at Anna, 13 inches at Carbondale and Shawneetown, 10 inches at Cairo, and 6 inches at Mount Vernon and Dix. Recovery efforts were slowed by gusty winds and bitterly cold arctic air, as low as 10 below zero on Christmas morning.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5428452. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.