THE WINTER WEATHER BLOG IS NOW INACTIVE. FOR THE LATEST CONDITIONS, CHECK OUT THE WCIA 3 MAP ROOM AND THE WCIA 3 WINTER WEATHER CENTER
FRIDAY 2:55 PM
Coles County Airport just reported a wind gust of 51 mph at 2:53p. Currently 0° and feels like -24°.
Live weather data on WCIA.com/weather/maproom at anytime.
FRIDAY 1:46 PM
The sub-zero temps now spreading to the the southeast. Power outages across the East Coast and in Tennesee.
FRIDAY 1:15 PM
Power outages now increasing now along the East Coast. In a Facebook post the Tennessee Valley Authority are asking the public to reduce power usage temporarily to help prevent a system overload.
FRIDAY 1:07 PM
Decatur roads have had plenty of traffic moving at or near the normal pace. Roads have been snow packed in some cities and towns, but the drifting snow has been seen in many rural and wide open areas.
FRIDAY 12:42 PM
Some small improvements on wind chills in Central Illinois, but still dangerously cold. Tonight wind chills could get as low as 30 below. Fortunately we expect the overall temperatures to warm by the middle of next week.
Friday 11:53 AM
According to IDOT roads in Iroquois and Ford counties are seeing totally covered roadways. Most likely due to blowing and drifting snow across the region.
Friday 11:15 AM
Meteorologist Adam Sherwinski tests out how the warm water in his mug reacts to the cold air.
Friday 10:48 AM
Wind Chill Warnings now spreading across the viewing area and lasting until tomorrow morning and as late as the middle of the day in some locations. Wind chills could still reach tonear 25 to 30 below zero.
Friday 9:43 AM
Road conditions getting better in some spots and deteriorating according to IDOT. Drifting and blowing snow kicking over already plowed roads and erasing the progress.
Friday 8:52 AM
Video from Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lighty from around Champaign County while he was in the Stormtracker.
Friday 8:27 AM
Photoes from Tolono along Route 45 showing a cold commute and blowing snow on those rural roads.
Friday 7:41 am
A shot from the Stormtracker as Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lighty went across the rural roads in Champaign County. Whiteout conditions, blowing snow, and snow drifts could make it harder to travel this morning. Especially in those more open road ways.
Friday 7:05 am
Current visibilities are lowered due to blowing and drifting snow.
Friday 6:28 am
Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lighty showing how varied the roads can be in our rural areas. From clear roads to packed with snow drifts. Be careful while traveling.
Friday 6:18 am
A wide swath of below zero temps and brutal wind chills across the Midwest moving now into the East Coast.
Friday 5:30 am
The heavy precip is east of us. Now the storm system is moving towards New Engladn and the East Coast. This storm will now impact travel around Boston, Columbus, New York, and Philadelphia.
Friday 3:45 am
Wind still staying strong this morning. That is keeping wind chills really low and adding to the issue of blowing and drifting snow.
Friday 3:15 am
Wind Chill Warning now for portions of the viewing area closer to St. Louis. We are not done with cold and gusty winds. Wind chill values into the -30s and -20 for this morning.
Friday 2:14 am
Slight adjustment on road adjustments according to IDOT. in Indiana and Ohio there’s a a lot of traffic on major roadways. Fortunately for us the pre-freeze precip didn’t deteriorate roads as drastically once temperatures dropped as expected.
Friday 1:05am
Chief meteorologist Kevin Lighty went outside to experience what a -40 degree wind chill feels like. Spoiler alert. It’s cold.
Friday 1:00am
Power outages being reported around the Arcola area.
Friday 12:30am
Crews continue to battle a house fire in Hoopeston. When we arrived it was fully engulfed. These conditions are awful for first responders on scene. A 2nd house fire also occurred in Hoopeston tonight as well.
Thursday 11:00 PM
Cold air continues to invade tonight, with air temperatures approaching -10. Wind chills continue to bite as well, with most of the area falling in the -30 to -40 range.
Thursday 10:50 PM
Visibility remains low across the area, with less than a mile being reported in several locations. Where you see higher visibility, things may still not be what they seem. Many of the stations that feed us this data are in a town area, where visibility has been ok throughout the night. Out in the country though, whiteout conditions are still present.
Thursday 10:28 PM
2 separate fires are being reported in Hoopeston, occurring at houses north of the high school. Gusts near 40 mph make these fires that much more dangerous, and with wind chills around -30, the firefighters on call must brave some brutal conditions.
Thursday 10:13 PM
What you see below is the IR Band of the GOES-16 Satellite, which is typically used to show clouds at night since this band reads the temperatures of the cloud tops it senses. Red colors depict colder, and therefore higher clouds in the atmosphere whereas purple and blue colors represent clouds that are lower in the atmosphere. However, the blue and purple you see across the Central US is not the result of the satellite sensing a cloud… it is simply sensing the frigid cold ground, which is actually so cold, it has the same temperature as an average low cloud that is usually thousands of feet above the ground!
Thursday 9:48 PM
A peak outside on our Eyenet cams reveals snow-packed roads here tonight. With temperatures well below 0 already, any snow on the roads has essentially cemented its place there, as plows can do very little to scrape it off. We will need to get above freezing to see much improvement, and we could still be days away from that.
Thursday 9:31 PM
Looks like the outages in Sangamon County have been taken care of, but there are still some outages down towards the southeast. Clark County has close to 100 without power and Crawford County still has around 250 in the dark at the moment.
Thursday 9:04 PM
Gusts are howling here tonight, falling anywhere between 30 and 45 mph. When you pair that with already negative temperatures, you get ugly winds chills like the ones we are feeling right now. Most of the area has already surpassed the -30 mark, and the folks in Jacksonville may be joining the -40 club here before too long.
Thursday 8:57 PM
The main snowfall finished a while ago, but visibility continues to be poor across the area tonight owing to blowing snow. Most places can’t see beyond 2 miles, and several localized places are under whiteout conditions.
Thursday 8:35 PM
There are still a few places dealing with power outages here this evening. Sangamon County continues to have the most, as they currently have 1600 some people in the dark while Crawford County has around 250 without power as well.
Thursday 8:32 PM
We have reports coming in that there are currently 2 different Amtraks that have been stopped near Tuscola for over an hour due to a broken down freight train. One train is coming from Chicago going to Carbondale and the other is coming from Carbondale going to Chicago.
Thursday 8:18 PM
Hopefully you do not have to travel anywhere tonight, as road conditions continue to stay less than desirable according to IDOT. The southern counties look to have it worst right now, but Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois Counties are also where the worst conditions can be found.
Thursday 8:10 PM
A large fire broke out earlier tonight in Girard in Macoupin County at an old bowling alley near the Dollar General store in town. Gusts in Macoupin County are around 40 mph, making fighting any fire a tough task. In addition, wind chill values currently sit at around -30 there, which makes prolonged outdoor exposure dangerous for those brave firefighters working hard to contain the blaze.
Thursday 8:04 PM
Once again, Meteorologist Jacob Dickey captures blizzard conditions while out in the Stormtracker tonight, this time as he was passing near Fisher near Route 136 and Highway 47. Driving conditions continue to stay extreme tonight as gusts blow snow all over the roads.
Thursday 7:55 PM
Matt Reese submitted this photo to us that shows what snow removal operations look like right now in Edgar County, noting that “visibility is deteriorating!”
Thursday 7:30 PM
How cold is it? Cold enough that when Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lighty throws hot water into the air it condenses into a cloud of vapor. Oh and since he used a green cup on the green screen, it was invisible. Watch.
Thursday 7:09 PM
As winds continue to howl, conditions continue to worsen over in Sangamon County. We are getting reports that plows and other county vehicles are being pulled as snow is beginning to pile as it is tossed in the strong breeze.
Thursday 7:06 PM
Now under the night sky, here is what a few downtown locations look like from the Eyenet cams. As you can see, despite snow only falling for a handful of hours, roads are still covered and impacts continue to be felt.
Thursday 6:31 PM
Close to 600 are without power currently in Sangamon County, and around 100 as well in Ford County. Most other counties are in good shape as far as outages.
Thursday 6:25 PM
Today’s strong front has current temperatures 30-35 degrees below where we were at this time yesterday. As overnight lows are expected to drop into the negatives and wind chills could be as cold as -35, make sure to account for anything that you don’t want left outside in this devastating cold.
Thursday 6:09 PM
This video of near-whiteout conditions was taken by Meteorologist Jacob Dickey in the Stormtracker this evening. This was on IL 47 near Fisher in Champaign County. As gusts look to stay strong tonight, this could be what you see when driving, which we advise against.
Thursday 5:45 PM
Most of the power outages previously reported in Piatt County appear to have been fixed, and in good time too, as temperatures continue to fall across the area.
Thursday 5:27 PM
Radar update. Still seeing snow push through Bloomington-Normal, Taylorville, and Decatur right now, but seeing the falling snow ease up in Springfield and Jacksonville.
Thursday 5:25 PM
Gusts continue to stay strong, and as the evening hours begin, temperatures continue to fall. Wind chill values are -20 across much of the area, and Jacksonville may soon jump into the -30’s.
Thursday 5:06 PM
Another update of the Eyenet cams across the area as the sun has set in Central Illinois. Although snow may not be actively falling everywhere, gusty conditions continue to cover the roads with snow and bitter cold temperatures make being outside too long dangerous.
Thursday 4:58 PM
The Gibson City Fire Chief has reported a barn fire in Strawn. He said that the bitter cold is making it difficult for the firefighters to manage the situation and get the livestock out safely.
Thursday 4:42 PM
Another update of the current road conditions from IDOT and INDOT. Mostly covered conditions are starting to expand, and we now have at least parts of 5 different counties included in the totally covered classification as the drive home begins late Thursday Evening.
Thursday 4:31 PM
A larger power outage has been reported in Piatt County, as close to 900 people are without power as of 4:20 this afternoon. In particular, Bement, Monticello, and surrounding areas are the ones being reported without power.
Thursday 4:04 PM
Temperatures have taken a 30+ degree tumble here in just the span of a day as the arctic air has made its way into the region.
Current Temperatures (as of 4:04 PM Thursday)
Temperatures at 9:02 AM Thursday Morning
Thursday 3:53 PM
A current look at 9 different locations on our Eyenet Cams shows a combination of covered roads and low visibility across all parts of the area as we head closer and closer to sunset.
Thursday 3:37 PM
Wind chill values have dropped to -20 for most folks west of I-57, and Veedersburg looks to be our last town with a wind chill above 0.
Thursday 3:26 PM
Visibility is quite low across the entire area, with under 2 miles of visibility for most and less than 1 mile of visibility for several others as snow continues to fall and winds continue to whip the snow around.
Thursday 3:23 PM
The latest update from IDOT shows partially covered roads across much of the Illinois portion of the viewing area. Mostly covered roads are being reported in Sangamon, Montgomery, and Macon Counties with totally covered roads being reported in Cumberland County and Iroquois County.
Thursday 3:00 PM
Gusts have picked up here in the last few hours, ranging from about 30 all the way up to 45 mph as of 3:00. Blowing snow becoming a larger concern as these gusts strengthen.
Thursday 2:43 PM
We managed to catch a snowplow getting the intersection of Green and Neil Streets cleared off here in Champaign from our Neil Street camera. Although blowing snow is continuing to cause issues, road crews are out doing their best to keep those on the roads safe.
Thursday 2:41 PM
Heavy and blowing snow continues to fall across the area. Below is a view of a few of the places currently getting hit the hardest as seen from our Eyenet cams.
Thursday 2:38 PM
Some photos of the current look in Springfield, one of the first places to feel the impacts of the winter storm earlier today.
Thursday 2:34 PM
Meteorologist Jacob Dickey posted a video of his view of the snow squall moving through the region. This video was taken near Willard Airport.
Thursday 2:31 PM
Kevin, Adam, and Seth with a look outside in the WCIA parking lot as the heaviest snow falls across Champaign County
Thursday 2:20 PM
Sangamon County has declared a Level 1 Winter Weather Emergency until further notice. Level 1 means that travel conditions are becoming difficult, as slick conditions and blowing snow are becoming common in the area.
Thursday 2:15 PM
The heaviest band of snow is starting to push through the central and eastern part of the viewing area. Ford, Champaign, Douglas, and Coles County are currently underneath this band with Iroquois, Vermillion, Edgar, and Clark in its path.
Thursday 2:14 PM
As the front pushes through, temperatures have fallen and gusts have picked up. It already feels like -22 in Jacksonville and -21 in Springfield, with almost everyone feeling below 0 at this point.
Thursday 2:00 PM
A quick update on the road conditions from IDOT: Partial coverage is being reported across Cass, Morgan, and Sangamon Counties out towards the west, but also in McClean, Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois Counties.
Thursday 1:48 PM
Our Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lighty took this clip of what it looks like on I-74 in Mahomet on his way over to the station. As can be seen, blowing snow is starting to become a factor here in the central part of the area.
Thursday 1:32 PM
Photo taken by Jeff Malnar showing the near-whiteout conditions near Streator in Livingston County.
Thursday 1:17 PM
Pictures of the snow around Champaign. Roads have gotten worse as the afternoon wears on.
THURSDAY 12:51 PM
Reports have also come in that there has been an accident at E Oak St. and Purnell Dr. in Champaign as conditions quickly worsen here in town.
Thursday 12:51 PM
Preliminary reports of a crash near N McCullough St. and W Park St. in Urbana have been reported. Meteorologist Jacob Dickey is on his way to investigate the scene and reports that road conditions have become very slick in the last few minutes.
Thursday 12:40 PM
A glance at our Eyenet cam in Springfield shows whiteout conditions as some of the heaviest snow begins to fall out towards the western portion of the area.
Thursday 12:24 PM
From Meteorologist Jacob Dickey on I-74 near Lake of the Woods. Slick out there according to him. Already one slide off so far.
Thursday 11:52 AM
Some images from our Capital Team in Springfield of a snowy capital and some drifting snow along 2nd Street.
Thursday 11:37 AM
According to a press release from Vermillion County Board Chairmen, Larry Baughn Jr., Vermillion county’s government buildings will be closed tomorrow due to the inclement weather.
Thursday 11:35 AM
Getting colder in the western portions of the viewing area. Roughly a 9 degree drop since the last temperature update earlier this morning. A bit easier to tell where the cold front is as compared to before.
Thursday 11:10 AM
A few fine flakes falling in Champaign. Melting a little as they hit the ground and cars. That could become an issue later as temperatures drop.
Thursday 11:04 AM
IDOT crews are already reporting partially covered roadways in the western portions of the viewing area. Already seeing a few fine flakes starting in Champaign.
Thursday 10:41 AM
Snow that’s showing up on radar now starting to make it’s way into the viewing area. Already our Capital Bureau team has informed us of flurries right outside their office. Look for this to expand throughout the day.
Thursday 9:41 AM
An update on Twitter sent to NWS Lincoln and Meteorologist Jacoby Dickey. Winds starting to pick up and snow starting to show up in Dawson, Il.
Thursday 9:34 AM
A big drop in Wind Chill values in Jacksonville and Springfield since before dawn this morning. Check out the wind direction. It is more northwesterly than what we saw earlier this morning. Clear sign that the leading edge of the front is pushing in.
Thursday 9:02 AM
Already seeing a drop in temperatures in Jacksonville and Springfield. That’s a sign that the cold front is already moving into our viewing area. Much colder temperatures are expected in the next few hours.
Thursday 8:43 AM
Hoopeston Police have now activated snow routes across the city. Police are advising residents to move their vehicles that are along that route.
Thursday 8:36 AM
Peoria getting a taste of the snow before our viewing area. Snow starting to accumulate on the grass and ice on the Illinois River.
Thursday 8:15 AM
Quick Radar update. Minor showers moving in our southern viewing area. Some of that liquid preicp could make for slick spots if flash freezing occurs as the cold front makes its way into Central Illinois later today. Something to watch out for.
Thursday 7:50 AM
Jacksonville starting to see the initial impact of the cold front move in to the corners on the viewing area. Falling temps will be more widespread as the morning wears on.
Thursday 7:15 AM
A Winter Storm Warning for the entire viewing are from noon today through 6 AM on Saturday. So far this morning minor drizzle in spots and light spots of rain in the southeast corners of our viewing area.
