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Updated: Blizzard Slams Southern Illinois

A powerful winter storm hit southern Illinois Wednesday, dumping nearly a foot of snow in some places, and covering area roads with snow and ice.

A swath of the area saw 8 to 11 inches of snowfall by daybreak, with a few more inches possible through the day. Over southeast Missouri, 4 to 8 inches was reported.

National Weather Service Lead Forecaster Dan Spaeth says this is the first time the agency has issued a blizzard warning for this region. He says while the bulk of the storm will be gone by mid-day Wednesday, there will be plenty left behind.

"With that volume of snow in your area, that's not going to go away right away. We are expecting more snow - nothing to even begin to compare to what we've just had here over the last several hours - but another inch or so of snow is not out of the question this Friday."

Strong winds will persist through Wednesday. The combination of these gusty winds (35-40mph) and the falling snow and possibly blowing snow may reduce visibility to under a quarter mile at times.

Credit Jennifer Fuller
SIUC at 5:00am (12/26/2012)

The heavy wet snow and strong winds may bring down some trees and power lines. In addition, shoveling heavy wet snow has caused heart attacks, back problems, and other issues in past winter storms.

Jennifer Fuller joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023 as the organization’s broadcast director. She will oversee the launch and operations of CNI’s new broadcast division.

Contact Jennifer Fuller at jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com
Jeff Williams is the Associate Director for Radio and Station Manager for WSIU Radio. Jeff is a native of southern Illinois and has been in broadcasting for 30 years. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiuradio@wsiu.org
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