Up to 8 inches of snowfall possible as winter storm approaches Illinois River Valley

A major winter storm is on its way into the Peoria area, and it’s expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow along for the ride.

Areas west of the Illinois River are currently under a winter storm warning. John Bumgardner is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Lincoln. He said they’re confident Peoria will get significant snowfall, but the exact amount could vary.

“You might not quite get to six inches. You could get a little more, but we’ll have some winds and some blowing and drifting to deal with,” he said.

The highest snowfall amounts are expected along the Illinois River. Bumgardner said Peoria is right along the snow/rain transition line, so it is possible there will be a rain/snow mix from 4-8 a.m. Tuesday ahead of a second wave of snow.

“Sometimes we’re concerned about freezing rain when we’re temperatures are right on the margin there. And that can be very impactful. Fortunately, in this case, it looks like it’s just going to either be rain or snow,” he said.

The larger threat, he said, are gusty winds both Monday and Tuesday night.

“If you don’t have to travel, avoid it because of the winds will have some blowing and drifting going on,” he said. “And that can be really dangerous because you might sneak up on a big drift on part of the road and not have time to slow down before going into it.”

Active snowfall is expected to continue through Tuesday night. Areas west of the Illinois River are under a winter storm warning from 6 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Wednesday. A winter weather advisory is in effect for areas east of the Illinois River.

The city of Peoria is applying liquid pretreatments to the main arterial roads, hills, bridges, and overpasses. Peoria snow plow drivers will begin 12-hour, around the clock shifts starting at 7 p.m. Monday. Parking bans on snow routes automatically go into effect in the city of Peoria when 2 inches or more of snow is forecasted.