Within the first two weeks of Jan. 2024 two strong weather systems brought several inches of wet, heavy snow followed by negative temperatures and severe wind chill across the Midwest.

In Galesburg, the first system dropped 6-8 inches of snow Jan. 8-9, a figure 42% higher than the historical average.

This was followed by another system which deposited 3-5 inches Jan. 12-13, putting the total snowfall at 9-13 inches. In comparison, winter 2023 saw 16 inches of snow in total.

With a high moisture content of nearly 1” of liquid in the snow, city plows struggled to clear the roads as quickly as the snow was falling. The city of Galesburg first plowed the snow Tuesday morning, but the snow had significantly built back up by the evening.

A layer of snow is still compacted on some roads and sidewalks, particularly in less-traveled areas. Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing for several days, so residents should anticipate some melting and refreezing in the next week.

Such rapid, intense snowfall led the city of Galesburg to declare a snow emergency for periods of 24-48 hours during the worst of the precipitation. During a snow emergency, the city requires vehicles to be parked off of city streets in order to facilitate the work of city snow crews in clearing roadways.

Most classes at Knox College were unaffected by the snowfall, with some professors moving to online classes but most remaining in-person. It is rare for the Knox College campus to be closed entirely due to weather conditions, due to the essential services that staff provide to students living on campus.