Palm Sunday Snowstorm of March 24, 2013

Overview:

A major snowstorm struck central Illinois on Sunday, March 24th, bringing significant snow accumulations to much of the area. The precipitation began during the night of March 23rd as a mixture of light rain and snow, but quickly changed over to all snow by Sunday morning. Several rounds of moderate to heavy snow occurred during the day Sunday, with many locations reporting thunderstorms with the snow as well. Due to the convective nature of this event, impressive snowfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour were observed at times. While all of central and southeast Illinois picked up significant snowfall, the highest totals of 10 to 18 inches were concentrated between the I-72 and I-70 corridors. The top amounts were observed across portions of Sangamon and Christian counties. Further north and south, snowfall amounts steadily decreased, with 4 to 5 inches across Stark and Marshall counties, and only 1 to 3 inches across Richland and Lawrence counties in southeast Illinois.

Snowfall Maps:

Click on the images to enlarge.


Overview of snow totals across Illinois and adjacent areas	Specific observations for central and southeast Illinois

Information on Records:

These observations are considered preliminary, until certified by the National Climatic Data Center.

Location	Element	Observed Total and Record Rank	Old Record
Decatur	24-Hour Snowfall	13.0 inches (tied for 2nd place)	13.5 inches on 3/19/1906
Jacksonville	24-Hour Snowfall	9.0 inches (tied 8th place)	12.0 inches on 2/28/1900 and 2/2/2011
Pana	24-Hour Snowfall	13.8 inches (1st place)	11.1 inches on 3/8/1978
Springfield	24-Hour Snowfall	17.4 inches (1st place)	15.0 inches on 2/28/1900
Springfield	Snow Depth	16 inches (tied 1st place)	16 inches on 1/14-18/1918 and 3/8/1978
Taylorville	24-Hour Snowfall	17.7 inches (1st place)	13.0 inches on 1/15/1968
Tuscola	24-Hour Snowfall	13.0 inches (4th place)	15.0 inches on 1/31/1982
Urbana	24-Hour Snowfall	11.5 inches (2nd place)	14.0 inches on 3/20/1906
Winchester	24-Hour Snowfall	13.0 inches (tied 2nd place)	18.0 inches on 2/2/2011

Specific Snowfall Observations:

These are the total snowfall amounts reported by area observers. Official stations are listed in the left column. These observations are considered preliminary, until certified by the National Climatic Data Center.

Official Cooperative Observer Snow Totals
(preliminary data, subject to certification by the
National Climatic Data Center)

Mesonet Snow Totals (unofficial data)
Sources: Signficant Weather Observer Program (SWOP), CoCoRaHS, Law Enforcement, Public

INCHES LOCATION               COUNTY
------ ---------------------- ---------
18.5 SPRINGFIELD            SANGAMON
18.5   2 SW TAYLORVILLE      CHRISTIAN
17.1   SHERMAN                SANGAMON
16.0   PANA                   CHRISTIAN
15.0   2 N ATHENS             DOUGLAS
15.0   LAKE SPRINGFIELD       SANGAMON
14.2   WINCHESTER             SCOTT
13.1   TUSCOLA                DOUGLAS
13.0   DECATUR SEWAGE PLANT   MACON
12.5   FISHER                 CHAMPAIGN
12.2   HAVANA                 MASON
12.2   JACKSONVILLE           MORGAN
11.8   LINCOLN (NWS)          LOGAN
11.4   BUFFALO                SANGAMON
11.3   4 SSW URBANA           CHAMPAIGN
11.2   OGDEN                 CHAMPAIGN
11.0   2 E JACKSONVILLE       MORGAN
11.0   MOUNT PULASKI          LOGAN
11.0   PHILO                  CHAMPAIGN
10.7   1 N MACKINAW           TAZEWELL
10.3   3 W KINCAID            CHRISTIAN
10.0   3 S SULLIVAN          MOULTRIE
10.0   BEARDSTOWN             CASS
10.0   MORRISONVILLE          CHRISTIAN
10.0   VIRGINIA               CASS
9.9    4 NW NEOGA             SHELBY
9.9    BLOOMINGTON WATERWORKS MCLEAN
9.8    BEECHER CITY           EFFINGHAM
9.2    WINDSOR                SHELBY
9.0    4 NE RUSHVILLE         SCHUYLER
8.7    NEOGA                  CUMBERLAND
8.0    MATTOON SEWAGE PLANT   COLES
8.9    LOVINGTON              MOULTRIE
8.5    2 S MOWEAQUA           SHELBY
8.5    3 SW EFFINGHAM         EFFINGHAM
8.5    HOOPESTON              VERMILION
8.3    ST. DAVID              FULTON
8.0    1 W ARTHUR             MOULTRIE
8.0    2 S STANFORD           MCLEAN
8.0    3 W FARMER CITY        DE WITT
8.0    4 NE NORMAL            MCLEAN
8.0    DANVILLE               VERMILION
7.7    MORTON                 TAZEWELL
7.6    PEORIA                 PEORIA
7.0    EFFINGHAM SEWAGE PLANT EFFINGHAM
7.0    PARIS                  EDGAR
6.8    ALTONA                 KNOX
6.5    ROANOKE                WOODFORD
6.5    SHELBYVILLE DAM        SHELBY
6.3    NEWTON                 JASPER
6.0    CASEY                  CLARK
5.9    5 W BLOOMINGTON        MCLEAN
5.5    2 SW CAMP GROVE       STARK
5.4    5 NW PEORIA            PEORIA
5.3    1 NE DAHINDA           KNOX
5.0    GALESBURG              KNOX
4.7    EUREKA                 WOODFORD
4.5    HUTSONVILLE            CRAWFORD
4.5    TOULON                 STARK
4.0    6 SSE CLAY CITY        CLAY
3.9    SPARLAND               MARSHALL
3.8    LACON                  MARSHALL
3.7    3 SW HIDALGO           JASPER
3.2    2 S OLNEY              RICHLAND
3.0   10 S MARTINSVILLE     CLARK
2.6   LACON                 MARSHALL
2.1    TRIMBLE                CRAWFORD
2.0    PALESTINE              CRAWFORD
2.0   LAWRENCEVILLE          LAWRENCE

INCHES LOCATION               COUNTY SOURCE
------ -------------------- --------- --------
17.0   WILLIAMSVILLE         SANGAMON PUBLIC
16.1   1 SW JEROME            SANGAMON SWOP
16.0   6 E BERLIN SANGAMON COCORAHS
15.6 3 S GREENVIEW         MENARD SWOP
15.5 8 E PETERSBURG        MENARD SWOP
15.5   MURRAYVILLE            MORGAN SWOP
15.5 RIVERTON               SANGAMON SWOP
15.5   LONG CREEK             MACON SWOP
15.3 8 W PETERSBURG         CASS COCORAHS
15.0   1 SW WOODSON           MORGAN SWOP
14.9 1 NNW LINCOLN         LOGAN COCORAHS
14.8 PETERSBURG            MENARD SWOP
14.0   2 S PHILADELPHIA       CASS SWOP
13.5 2 E TAYLORVILLE        CHRISTIAN SWOP
13.5 2 E CHATHAM           SANGAMON SWOP
13.5 6 NNE MONTICELLO      PIATT COCORAHS
13.5   ASHLAND                CASS SWOP
13.4   ELKHART               LOGAN SWOP
13.3 1 SSE LINCOLN         LOGAN COCORAHS
13.0   2 E URBANA            CHAMPAIGN SWOP
12.5   MATTOON                COLES SWOP
12.5   MOUNT ZION            MACON SWOP
12.3   2 SSE CHAMPAIGN       CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
12.0   4 NW WINDSOR           SHELBY SWOP
12.0   BOODY                  MACON SWOP
12.0   2 E DECATUR           MACON SWOP
11.9   1 N PETERSBURG         MENARD COCORAHS
11.6 7 N EFFINGHAM         SHELBY COCORAHS
11.5 FARMER CITY           DE WITT COCORAHS
11.3 DANVILLE              VERMILION SWOP
11.3 MANSFIELD              PIATT COCORAHS
11.2 BROCTON               EDGAR SWOP
11.0   BEARDSTOWN             CASS SWOP
11.0   NEOGA                  CUMBERLAND SWOP
11.0   NEW HOLLAND           LOGAN COCORAHS
11.0   4 NW MODE SHELBY COCORAHS
10.7 2 N HOMER CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
10.5 1 N SIDNEY            CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
10.5 1 S CHARLESTON        COLES COCORAHS
10.5   2 NNE MAHOMET         CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
10.5 3 S CHAMPAIGN         CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
10.5 4 ESE URBANA          CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
10.3 9 NW DANVILLE          VERMILION COCORAHS
10.0 4 ESE FINDLAY         SHELBY SWOP
9.9   2 NE NEOGA            CUMBERLAND SWOP
9.5   2 E BLOOMINGTON       MCLEAN SWOP
9.5    3 NE BLOOMINGTON       MCLEAN SWOP
9.4   1 N SAVOY             CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
9.3   2 NE CISCO            PIATT SWOP
9.3   PEKIN                  TAZEWELL SWOP
9.3   1 SSW ST. JOSEPH CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
9.3   3 SSE HENNING          VERMILION COCORAHS
9.2    LANE                   DE WITT SWOP
8.8   EFFINGHAM              EFFINGHAM SWOP
8.8   2 SW PEORIA           PEORIA COCORAHS
8.7   BLOOMINGTON            MCLEAN SWOP
8.7   3 W EDINBURG          CHRISTIAN COCORAHS
8.6    1 N ABINGDON          KNOX SWOP
8.0   CLINTON                DE WITT SWOP
7.3    2 NNW DEWEY            CHAMPAIGN COCORAHS
7.0   ASTORIA               FULTON SWOP
7.0    2 NNE ARROWSMITH      MCLEAN COCORAHS
6.5    EL PASO                WOODFORD SWOP
6.4   4 SSW LE ROY MCLEAN COCORAHS
6.3   GRIDLEY               MCLEAN SWOP
6.1   3 SE DUNLAP           PEORIA SWOP
6.1   CANTON                FULTON SWOP
6.0    2 N GERMANTOWN HILLS   WOODFORD SWOP
6.0    PEORIA                PEORIA SWOP
6.0    GILSON                KNOX SWOP
6.0   WATSON                EFFINGHAM SWOP
5.9    HOPEWELL               MARSHALL SWOP
5.5   1 NW KNOXVILLE         KNOX COCORAHS
5.5   LEXINGTON              MCLEAN COCORAHS
5.1   5 NNW EL PASO         WOODFORD COCORAHS
5.0   MARTINSVILLE          CLARK SWOP
4.8   HENRY                  MARSHALL SWOP
4.0    1 S MANITO             MASON SWOP
4.0   FLORA                  CLAY SWOP
3.7    NEWTON                 JASPER SWOP
3.0   3 W ROBINSON          CRAWFORD SWOP
3.0   7 NW ROBINSON          CRAWFORD SWOP
2.0    4 SW OLNEY            RICHLAND SWOP