Weather
Southern Illinois Snowstorm: Rare October Event Hit 33 Years Ago
Marion, IL – Imagine waking up just days before Halloween to find several inches of snow covering the ground. That's exactly what happened in parts of southern Illinois 33 years ago, when an unusually
By Natalie Rhodes · 2026-10-29T11:21:05.118Z
Marion, IL – Imagine waking up just days before Halloween to find several inches of snow covering the ground. That's exactly what happened in parts of southern Illinois 33 years ago, when an unusually early snowstorm swept across the region October 29 31, 1993.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, the storm brought significant snowfall to southern Illinois, southeastern Missouri, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky, catching the region in an early taste of winter.
And some of the snowfall totals were surprisingly high.
Marion, Illinois, recorded 6.5 inches, while Plumfield in Franklin County measured 6.2 inches.
Other southern Illinois communities also saw substantial accumulations, including 5.5 inches at Rend Lake Dam and 5 inches near Mount Vernon.
Carbondale's sewage plant recorded 3.7 inches, while Anna reported 4 inches.
The snow didn't stop at the Illinois border.
Spurgeon, Indiana, received 6.2 inches, while Evansville Regional Airport recorded 4.6 inches.
Across the Ohio River, Paducah, Kentucky, measured 2.2 inches during the event.
The storm also made weather history in Paducah.
The National Weather Service reported that October 29, 1993, marked the city's earliest measurable snowfall in its official long term climate record, with 0.1 inch recorded that day.
Another 2 inches fell October 30.
Official records for that station date back to December 1937.
Why does this storm still stand out?
Late October is typically associated with falling leaves, cooler temperatures and Halloween preparations — not several inches of accumulating snow.
The event remains a reminder that winter weather can occasionally arrive well ahead of schedule across the Midwest.
The National Weather Service highlighted the anniversary Thursday, October 29, sharing historical snowfall totals and a map showing where the heaviest snow fell.
For those who lived through it, the October 1993 snowstorm may still bring back memories of an unusually wintry Halloween season.
Do you remember the October snowstorm of 1993? How much snow fell where you lived?