Winter Weather — Clay, Illinois

2016-12-16 to 2016-12-17 · Clay, Illinois

Event narrative

Freezing drizzle created slick and hazardous roadways during the late evening of December 16th into the pre-dawn hours of the 17th. A vehicle slid off a bridge and landed upside down in a creek bed in rural Clay County, killing one man.

Wider weather episode

An approaching warm front spread wintry precipitation across central Illinois from the early afternoon of December 16th through the afternoon of the 17th. With warmer air arriving from the south aloft and a very cold boundary layer airmass remaining in place, most of the precipitation was in the form of freezing drizzle. Light ice accumulations of one tenth of an inch or less were common, creating slick and hazardous driving conditions. Numerous traffic accidents occurred as the freezing drizzle started to fall, especially on I-55 near Springfield and I-57 in Champaign. One fatal accident occurred in rural Clay County when a vehicle slid off a bridge into a creek.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 666931. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.