Weather

Quarter-sized? Golfball-sized? Softball? Bigger? Severe March storms dumped record-breaking hail on Kankakee. And now it's official.

Bloomington-Normal and Greater Peoria again avoided the worst of a spring storm system that moved through the area Sunday. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 1 p.m. Monday.

As spring storm season kicks in for Central Illinois, McLean County agencies have a new tool in place to notify residents of emergencies via their cell phones.

The National Weather Service is warning of an enhanced risk of tornados and other severe weather on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning throughout Central Illinois.

State climatologist Trent Ford with the Illinois State Water Survey said the last six months are the driest August-to-January period on record for the Twin Cities at 7.1 inches of precipitation, according to climate records dating back to 1893.

The Unit 5 school district has canceled school for Monday, Jan. 26, because of expected frigid temperatures. Bloomington's District 87 will do an e-learning day.

With frigid temperatures for a second straight day, Ameren Illinois and Corn Belt Energy customers on Saturday were asked to reduce their non-essential use of electricity following an emergency warning by the regional grid operator MISO. Those conservation measures were lifted around 10 a.m. Saturday.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for McLean, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Fulton and Schuyler counties from 9 a.m. Saturday until midnight Sunday night.

The warning is in effect from 3 a.m. to noon Friday for McLean, Woodford, Tazewell, Peoria, Marshall, Stark and Knox counties.

Much of Central Illinois will be facing some extreme cold Thursday night into Friday. Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 to 30 degrees below zero are possible.