Live weather blog: NWS says Bloomington got 4.5 inches of snow, well below forecast
Here's the latest on a major snowstorm expected to hit Bloomington-Normal on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. More resources:
Do you have a cancellation or other news to report? Send it to news@wglt.org.
Several Central Illinois communities see record snow
The National Weather Service reports Peoria [5.2 inches], Lincoln [7.8 inches] and Springfield [8.9 inches] received record daily snowfall for November 29.
The weather service called it "one of the most prolific late November snowfalls on record," as Central Illinois received between 5 and 12 inches over a span of 12 to 18 hours.
The heaviest snow in the regional fell in west-central Illinois in an area between Quincy, Springfield and Litchfield. Some locations in that area reported 10 inches.
Bloomington-Normal officially received 4.5 inches on Saturday and could get another 1 to 3 inches on Monday afternoon and evening.
IHSA moves 2 state football finals games to DeKalb
The IHSA says it will move two of the four remaining football state finals games to DeKalb because of a scheduling conflict in Normal.
ISU closed its campus Saturday because of the snowstorm, which the IHSA said forced the "unprecedented" postponement of those four games (Classes 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A) scheduled for Hancock Stadium.
Two postponed games (Class 5A and 6A) will be played Tuesday at Hancock Stadium. The other two (Class 7A and 8A) will now be played Wednesday at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
“Illinois State was committed to hosting all eight state championship games if possible, but could not host the 7A and 8A title games until Thursday due to a scheduling conflict on Wednesday,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement. “We did not want to further impact the schedules and routines of our competing teams, so NIU’s willingness to step up, especially given the geography of the competing teams, made this an easy decision.”
The scheduling conflict is an ISU men’s basketball game Wednesday night at CEFCU Arena against Eastern Kentucky, which impacts ISU's staffing and parking, an IHSA spokesperson said.
The IHSA is working with the ticketing groups at ISU and NIU and anticipates that all tickets previously purchased through the ISU ticket office will be honored in DeKalb. More information on ticketing will be announced Monday.
“We are incredibly thankful to NIU, the Huskie Athletic Department, and the DeKalb community for welcoming back the IHSA Football State Finals on short notice,” said Anderson. “We had a wonderful state final experience in DeKalb over the course of a decade and have a relationship of hosting IHSA State Series events on campus that dates back even further. NIU’s partnership with the IHSA and support of high school student-athletes in Illinois has proven to be second to none.”
IDOT map: Interstates are fully snow or ice covered
The Illinois Department of Transportation's Winter Road Conditions map is a useful tool if you're considering travel today.
As of the 2 p.m. hour, all interstates around Bloomington-Normal are snow- or ice-covered, according to IDOT's map.
Cancellations and closures for Saturday and Sunday
Here's a look at some cancellations and closures for Saturday, Nov. 29, because of the winter storm.
Libraries
Bloomington Public Library - will close at noon Saturday. All of Saturday's Bookmobile stops are also cancelled.
Churches
Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington - closed for Sunday worship service.
Businesses
CEFCU - all CEFCU Member Centers in Illinois will be closed. The Member Contact Center will remain open Saturday and can be reached at 800.633.7077 during normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
McLean County Sheriff's Office sets collision alert
Due to the weather forecast and deteriorating road conditions, the McLean County Sheriff’s Office says it will be operating under a collision alert.
During the collision alert, drivers who are involved in minor property damage accidents should exchange insurance information and report the accident to the sheriff’s office within 48 hours after the collision alert has been lifted.
For emergencies, such as accidents with injuries, continue to dial 911.
For non-emergencies or minor accidents with property damage only, dial 309-888-5030.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to dispatch deputies if a motorist is involved in an accident that involves any type of injury, or their vehicle is unable to be removed from the roadway, creating a hazard.
Town of Normal enacts snow parking ban
A snow parking ban goes into effect on all streets within the Town of Normal effective midnight Friday until noon Monday.
The police department may ticket vehicles parked on the street. When a parking ban is activated, no parked cars are permitted on any streets in the Town of Normal. Cars must be moved off the streets to a driveway, garage or parking lot. Residents who do not have a driveway or garage may park their cars for free in the parking lots of the town's parks, including but not limited to: Anderson, Fairview and Underwood.
A snow parking ban is activated to allow snowplow crews to clear the entire street, including parking areas. For your safety, when approaching operating salt vehicles, stay at least 100 feet behind the equipment. It is inadvisable to pass salt or plow trucks.
Bloomington-Normal could see 7-10 inches of snow
The Bloomington-Normal area is expecting 7-10 inches of snow in a storm that begins Friday night.
Much of Central Illinois, including McLean County, will be under a winter storm warning from midnight Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
"Roads and especially bridges and overpasses will likely become slick and hazardous. The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages. Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the weather service warned.
Bloomington announces parking bans as winter storm approaches
The City of Bloomington has implemented parking restrictions ahead of the expected winter storm.
No parking will be allowed on designated snow routes starting at 11 p.m. Friday to enable snow plows to pass through city streets. A citywide parking ban will take effect starting at 6 a.m. Saturday.
According to a city news release, residents who don’t have access to a driveway or alternate off-street parking can access parking at city parks and all city-managed lots.
All parking garages will be free to use during the parking ban, which will remain in effect until further notice.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for McLean County portions of eight states from late Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday. The weather service says the Bloomington-Normal area is likely to receive at least six inches of snow.
Forecast leads to 'unprecedented' postponement of IHSA state football title games
The IHSA said it's postponing four football state title games Saturday because Illinois State University is closing its campus because of the expected snowstorm.
The second day of the 2025 IHSA Football State Finals were set to unfold at ISU’s Hancock Stadium in Normal. Now, the Class 5A, 6A, 7A, and 8A state championship games scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 29, are being postponed.
The IHSA announced late Friday the Class 5A and 6A games have been rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.
The IHSA is working to reschedule the Class 7A and 8A games for either Wednesday, Dec. 3 or Thursday, Dec. 4.
The games will remain at Hancock Stadium.
“The postponement of the IHSA Football State Finals is unprecedented in the state playoffs 51-year history,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement. “All of the competing teams in Class 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A have been alerted that their state championship games will not be played on Nov. 29, but that they will be played in the coming days. We appreciate the patience and understanding of these schools and communities as we work to determine the best and safest solution to rescheduling these contests and crowning state champions in our four largest classes.”
Hancock Stadium is hosting the Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A title games on Friday. Those contests are not impacted and will be played as scheduled.