Winter storm Landon blows into central Illinois; dumps 7.9 inches of snow, more on the way

Zachary McVey and his girlfriend Billie Thomas, both of Springfield, sled down a hill at Pasfield Golf Course Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal Register]
Zachary McVey and his girlfriend Billie Thomas, both of Springfield, sled down a hill at Pasfield Golf Course Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal Register]

The winter storm forecasters predicted blasted into central Illinois early Wednesday.

Winter storm Landon tracked across the Midwest bringing bands of heavy snow and wind making travel treacherous.

"We're expecting an inch of snow per hour," said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Erwin.

Snow continued most of Wednesday before slowing but blustery winds continued.

6:45 p.m.: More snow after midnight

The National Weather Service reports 7.9 inches of snow blanket Springfield bringing the season total to 10 inches, three inches short of the average for this point in the season. "We've been spoiled by a lack of snow up to this point," said meteorologist Chris Geelhart. The area averages 22 inches of snow during the winter season.

After an evening lull, expect snow to resume after midnight with accumulation between 2 to 4 inches by noon Thursday, Geelhart added.

Temperatures will fall into the teens overnight and reach 20 degrees Thursday.

4:48 p.m.: Northbound lanes of Interstate 55 reopened near Elkhart

Illinois State Police report the three northbound lanes of Interstate 55 near Elkhart are no longer blocked by a tractor-trailer.

"All lanes are open, the road surface is covered in ice with blowing snow causing whiteout conditions. Motorists are urged to stay off the roadways, until conditions improve, unless it is an emergency," said Eric Helton in a release.

4:30 p.m.: Secretary of state offices closed Thursday

The Illinois secretary of state facilities in Springfield will be closed Thursday because of the snowstorm. So will many other driver's services facilities in central and southern Illinois.

Check the website at ilsos.gov for the status of facilities in your area.

Adrienne Murphy of Vancil-Murphy Funeral home on South Grand Avenue in Springfield cleans snow from in front of the business on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/State Journal Register]
Adrienne Murphy of Vancil-Murphy Funeral home on South Grand Avenue in Springfield cleans snow from in front of the business on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/State Journal Register]

4:25 p.m.: Illinois College classes to resume Thursday

Illinois College morning classes will meet virtually and most afternoon classes will resume in-person instruction Thursday. Campus offices also will plan to resume normal operations after noon.

4:18 p.m.: Accident blocks northbound lanes of I-55 near Elkhart

Illinois State Police say a jack-knifed tractor-trailer is blocking all three lanes of northbound Interstate 55 at milepost 115 near Elkhart in Logan County.

All northbound I-55 traffic is being diverted to the Elkhart exit while the vehicle is removed, said ISP Master Sgt. Don Kovack in a release.

"Lane closure will last for an unknown amount of time. Please avoid the area if possible. Slow down and move over," Kovack said.

4:09 p.m.: Springfield Clinic announces Thursday closures

The following local Springfield Clinic locations will be closed Thursday.

Springfield Clinic 1st – 800 Building - Cardiology, Infusion, Rheumatology, Urology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Interventional Spine Care, Physical Medicine & Rehab, Chiropractic; Springfield Clinic 1st - 900 Building: Infectious Diseases & Travel Medicine, 2nd Floor Center for Women's Health, Dermatology; Springfield Clinic Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at HSHS St. John's Health Center; Springfield Clinic at St. John's Pavilion: Gastroenterology and Urology; Springfield Clinic Carpenter; Springfield Clinic Center for Plastic Surgery; Springfield Clinic Chiropractic - Dr. Windie McKay; Springfield Clinic Downtown Drive-Up Lab; Springfield Clinic Jacksonville; Springfield Clinic Jacksonville MOHA; Springfield Clinic Koke Mill; Springfield Clinic Lincoln; Springfield Clinic Main Campus East: Bariatrics, 4th Floor Family Medicine, 3rd and 4th Floor Internal Medicine; Springfield Clinic Main Campus West: Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonary, Sleep Disorders Center, 1st Floor Family Medicine, Psychiatry; Springfield Clinic MOHA; Springfield Clinic Oncology - All locations; Springfield Clinic Optical Center West Wabash; Springfield Clinic Pediatric and Adolescent Center; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services – Monroe; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services - West Wabash; Springfield Clinic Sherman Rehabilitation Service; Springfield Clinic Sherman: Family Medicine; Springfield Clinic Taylorville; Springfield Clinic Taylorville - Cheney; Springfield Clinic Wabash; Springfield Clinic West Side Drive-Up Lab.

James Harder of Springfield shovels snow from the driveway of his home on West Lawrence Avenue  Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney The State Journal Register]
James Harder of Springfield shovels snow from the driveway of his home on West Lawrence Avenue Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney The State Journal Register]

3:13 p.m.: YMCA of Springfield modifies Thursday hours

On Thursday, the Kerasotes YMCA will be closed and the downtown YMCA will operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No youth programming will be held including Child Watch, swim and gymnastics lessons. In addition, there will no group fitness classes held for adults. Workout areas and locker rooms will be open for use including wellness floors, gymnasiums, and lap swim.

3:07 p.m.: SMTD service to remain suspended through Thursday

SMTD has suspended all service through Thursday, according to a press release this afternoon. "SMTD will re-evaluate roads late Thursday and early Friday morning, but we plan to begin regular schedules Friday morning with the exception of Urbanized Area service to Chatham, Riverton, Rochester, and Sherman, which we plan to resume Monday," the release said.

3:04 p.m.: Ball-Chatham schools closed Thursday

Ball-Chatham schools will remain closed Thursday, though it will be an e-learning day for all students. Attendance will be taken, and asynchronous learning will continue.

3 p.m.: UIS in-person classes canceled Thursday

University of Illinois Springfield daytime and evening on-ground classes are canceled for Thursday. Online/Remote classes are not canceled. Blended classes which are not meeting on campus on Thursday are not canceled.

Food service will be open for all three meal periods tomorrow.

The UIS COVID-19 SHIELD Testing site will be closed on Thursday.

2:56 p.m.: LLCC closed Thursday

All classes and activities at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and its other campuses are canceled for Thursday.

College offices will also be closed.

1:37 p.m.: State police report roadways remain hazardous

Road conditions continue to be hazardous in the area, according to Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Brice Hager of ISP District 9. District 9 is an area which covers Springfield and Lincoln.

"As expected, road conditions in District 9 have deteriorated to the point of being extremely dangerous. Officers have responded to numerous property damage crashes, as well as cars sliding off the roadways and being stuck near the shoulders of the interstate," Hager said in a release. "Road conditions in Logan County are especially slick and hazardous with numerous vehicles stuck on the shoulder of the roadway. ISP is asking you to stay off the roadways, and only travel if it is an emergency."

1:31 p.m.: Springfield city offices closing early

The city of Springfield has announced that its offices, including Lincoln Library and Oak Ridge Cemetery, will close at 3 p.m. today.

The city encouraged residents seeking information regarding city services to visit the city website at www.springfield.il.us. Snow-related information is online at www.springfield.il.us/snow. The following are city phone numbers for issues that come up after hours. Police Non-Emergency, 217.788.8311; Public Works Dispatch, 217.789.2246; CWLP Electrical Outage, 217.789.2121; Water Service Outage or Emergency, 217.789.2323 ext. 2.

1:20 p.m.: Memorial Health weather closings

Memorial Health’s primary care and specialty care locations closed at noon today and will be closed all day Thursday.

Memorial Care’s urgent care locations also closed at noon today. Memorial Care on South Sixth Street in Springfield plans to close at 4 p.m. today. All urgent care locations will be closed Thursday.

Closed facilities include Memorial Care on Koke Mill, Memorial Care on North Dirksen, Memorial Care on South Sixth, all in Springfield, and Memorial Care in Chatham.

Memorial Care in Jacksonville and Lincoln closed at noon and will be closed all day Thursday.

12:49 p.m.: Sangamon County declares Level 2 winter weather emergency

Sangamon County has declared a Level 2 Winter Weather Emergency will begin at 6 p.m. and last until further notice. The declaration only applies to county highways.

A level 2 winter weather emergency means road conditions are hazardous with blowing and drifting and snow and may be icy. Travel on county highways is discouraged. Emergency personnel may not be able to respond in a timely manner if people are stranded so travel is discouraged.

12:37 p.m. Williamsville-Sherman schools cancel Thursday classes

The Williamsville-Sherman school district has canceled classes for Thursday.

There was no immediate word on extracurricular activities scheduled for Thursday.

The emergency dat will be made up at the end of the year.

12:15 p.m.: Springfield snowfall totals

About 5 inches of snow had fallen in Springfield as of noon, according to the NWS.

Erwin said the area can expect another two to three inches today and three to six inches on Thursday.

12:01 p.m. Christian Co. courthouse closed

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said the Christian County Courthouse will be closed Thursday.

Christian County remains is under Level 1, meaning only travel when necessary.

11:47 a.m.: District 186 schools to be closed Thursday

Springfield School District 186 announced before noon that all of its schools will be closed on Thursday because of the continued inclement weather conditions. The SCOPE child care program also will be closed.

According to the district, Thursday will count as an emergency snow day, and will be made up at the end of the school year on June 7.

The Capital Area Career Center in Springfield and Cornerstone Academy in Nokomis are also closed Thursday.

11:47 a.m.: Springfield's Schnucks stores to close early

Springfield's two Schnucks grocery stores will close at 1 p.m. today and reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday, according to a press release from the company.

The stores are in Montvale Plaza and Sangamon Center North.

11:45 a.m.: HSHS Clinics to close at noon

Because of the hazardous weather conditions, all HSHS Medical Group clinics were set to close at noon.

Patients who had appointments today have been contacted to reschedule.

10:15 a.m.: Moderate to heavy snow across area

The National Weather Service in Lincoln reported bands of moderate to heavy snow crossing central Illinois especially from Interstate 55 to the east late this morning, reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, and causing rapid snow accumulations. Blowing and drifting snow was also occurring, according to the NWS.

The NWS said the rain/snow line was as far south as near Interstate 70 late this morning.

9:17 a.m.: YMCA of Springfield adjusts hours

Because of the severe weather conditions, the YMCA of Springfield has adjusted today's operating hours at its two facilities. The Kerasotes branch will close at 11 a.m. and the downtown site will close at 2 p.m..

8:25 a.m.: Bus service suspended

Worsening weather conditions have forced Sangamon Mass Transit to suspend bus service. The last trip will leave the transfer center at 9 a.m. and the last trip out of junction circle departs at 8:45 a.m. All passengers should catch the next available bus if they need SMTD transportation home. Information about Thursday service will be announced later today.

Kevin Byrd of Springfield cleans snow off his car on South Douglas Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/State Journal-Register]
Kevin Byrd of Springfield cleans snow off his car on South Douglas Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/State Journal-Register]

Snowfall totals in Springfield

About 2.3 inches of snow had fallen in the Springfield area as of 6 a.m., according to the National Weather Service in Lincoln. That snowfall was measured near Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.

NWS meteorologist Chuck Schaffer said the heaviest snowfall for the system would be Wednesday morning through noon when about three to five inches was expected to fall. Another inch of snow was predicted for Wednesday afternoon, Schaffer said, followed by a long break until the evening hours.

Snow in Springfield: Here are the five largest recorded snowfalls in the city's history

Road conditions in central Illinois

Illinois State Police reported numerous property damage crashes and slide-offs as road conditions deteriorated.

Lt. Commander Judy Huffman said in a press release roadways in Logan County were especially hazardous and advised motorists to travel only if necessary.

Schaffer said a second part of the storm system was expected after midnight Thursday. That could lead to another three to five inches before tapering off around noon.

Sangamon Mass Transit District buses were running snow routes Wednesday but was considering suspending service.

City of Springfield Public Works crews were called in at 9 p.m. Tuesday in anticipation of dealing with a storm that could dump five to 17 inches of snow in the Springfield area through Thursday.

Public Works Director Nate Bottom said he anticipated the 100 or so workers to work 12-hours shifts through at least Friday in addressing the 1,500 miles of major streets in the city.

Springfield snow emergency

Bottom declared a snow emergency for the city Tuesday which extends through 9 p.m. Friday.

Under the snow emergency, vehicles must be removed from marked snow emergency routes. A map of the route is at www.springfield.il.us/snow.

"In any areas, (not parking on the street) helps us improve our efficiency, so we can go curb to curb (plowing)," Bottom said.

City Water, Light and Power’s Lake Services and Water divisions also will help out, Bottom said. He anticipated calling in contractors to assist with the storm.

If the heavier end snow is predicted, Bottom said, crews potentially could go through 3,000 tons of salt.

Some bridge decks and steeper grade roads were pre-treated with brine, Bottom said.

Garbage services delayed

The city's waste haulers – Republic, Waste Management and Lake Area – already announced they were delaying services Wednesday. Republic was also delaying service Thursday, but the other two haulers were reassessing after Wednesday.

Because of the weather, Bottom said, Public Works was delaying branch pickup by a week.

Some Springfield clinics closed

The following Springfield Clinic locations will be closed Wednesday or have adjusted hours. The clinics are taking calls but because of the snow emergency, many locations are closed and callers could experience longer wait times because of limited staff. Here are the closings or locations with limited hours:

Springfield Clinic Main: 4th Floor Family Medicine only; Springfield Clinic Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at HSHS St. John's Health Center; Springfield Clinic Center for Plastic Surgery; Springfield Clinic Chiropractic - Dr. Windie McKay; Springfield Clinic Downtown Drive-Up Lab: Open 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Springfield Clinic Koke Mill; Springfield Clinic Pediatrics and Adolescent Center; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services – Monroe; Springfield Clinic Rehabilitation Services - West Wabash; Springfield Clinic Wabash: 2nd Floor Pediatrics and Lab only; Springfield Clinic West Side Drive-Up Lab; Springfield Clinic Carlinville; Springfield Clinic Decatur; Springfield Clinic Decatur Lake Shore; Springfield Clinic Decatur MOHA; Springfield Clinic Decatur Pediatrics; Springfield Clinic Effingham; Springfield Clinic Flora; Springfield Clinic Hillsboro East; Springfield Clinic Hillsboro West; Springfield Clinic Jacksonville; Springfield Clinic Lincoln; Springfield Clinic Macomb: Delay start at 10 a.m.; Springfield Clinic Moweaqua; Springfield Clinic Morton Pediatrics; Springfield Clinic Neoga; Springfield Clinic Newton; Springfield Clinic Peoria; Springfield Clinic Peoria Allergy & Asthma; Springfield Clinic Peoria Heights; Springfield Clinic Peoria Lindbergh - Pediatrics; Springfield Clinic Peoria Proctor; Springfield Clinic Sherman; Springfield Clinic Sherman Rehabilitation Service; Springfield Clinic Stewardson; Springfield Clinic Taylorville.

This story will be updated.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield IL snow updates: Get the latest winter storm information