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      Winter Weather Information

   

  (TOP) Downtown Bloomington 2/2/11 Photo by Eric Stock, WJBC 
  (BOTTOM) Lincoln NWS 2/2/11 - Photo by NWS

  Quick Links:

  Latest NWS Winter Weather Watches, Warnings 
              & Advisories for Central & Southeast IL (click here)

                   Special Weather Statements (click here) 
                           - These provide you with information about things like slick roads 
                              due to "black ice", short duration heavy snow bands, wind chills 
                              close to -15 degrees  for a couple of hours - OR to heighten 
                              awareness of an impending winter storm.

Definitions:

• Winter Advisories: Winter weather the next day or so - such as snow, sleet, icing (freezing rain), gusty winds and/or cold temperatures will result mainly in travel problems / delays. If you plan on spending time outdoors, be prepared to stay as dry and warm as possible.
  
  Advisories for snow are issued for 2 to 5 inches. Advisories for ice are for icing less than 1/4" thick.   
   

• Winter Warnings: A Winter storm the next day or so - is expected to result in signficant amounts of snow, sleet, icing, very gusty winds and/or extremely cold temperatures. The impacts will be significant with hazardous travel and possibly extended power outages. Getting stranded outdoors could be deadly.
  
  Warnings for snow are for 6 inches or more. Warnings for icing are for more than 1/4" thick, which can cause damage to trees and power lines. 

     llinois Winter Road Conditions  
                                 (click link above for Interactive IDOT web page)

Map Legend:
     
Map courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation

 Illinois Road Conditions by phone: 
  1-800-452-4368  

Winter Road Conditions in Surrounding States
(click on the links to the right of the map)

•   Wisconsin       
   

•      Indiana

  
  

•      Kentucky      

  
  

•      Missouri

  
  

•      Iowa

   

  
  
  
  

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   Winter Preparedness Resources

  Winter Weather Preparedness Guide

  Winter Storms -- The Deceptive Killers (PDF, 855 KB)

  Carbon Monoxide Safety Fact Sheet (from U.S. EPA)

  Winter Weather Preparedness Topics:    Winter Weather Definitions Cold Weather Safety Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter Weather  Winter Weather and Your Health Winter Weather Travel Winter Safety at Home

  WINTER        TRAVEL KIT                                 Are you prepared for winter     travel? Click the picture above     for a list of items you need!       WIND CHILL CHART         How cold does the wind make the temperature feel?  (Click the image above for the "wind chill" chart)

  Other Winter Weather  Web Pages:  IEMA - Ready Illinois American Red Cross NOAA Winter Weather Safety & Awareness  Illinois State Fire Marshall  How to use Portable Generators Safely	Illinois annual snowfall (click the picture for a larger image)
  Average annual number of days with freezing rain	Average yearly number of storms with  at least 6 inches of snow
  2012-13 Winter Outlooks  Click the thumbnails for a bigger image. Temperatures in central & southeast Illinois  (top image) have an equal chance of  being above normal, below normal or normal. However, when temperatures in the western  Great Lakes are above normal in winter, we  usually experience COLDER than normal conditions. The outlook for precipitation (bottom image)  indicates an enhanced probability of being above normal in southeast Illinois. The rest of the area can expect near normal conditions for the three month period of December - February.