Lexington, IL - Emergency Management Agency (EMA)

02/19/2026

02/18/2026

We are under a red flag warning - no burning!

A Red Flag Warning is in effect for portions of north-central and west-central IL today, as west-southwest winds gust up to 35 mph with relative humidity dropping to 15 to 20 percent in warm conditions. Any fires that start will spread quickly. Avoid open burning and don't carelessly discard ci******es.

01/24/2026

In the event of a long power outage, should you need shelter please contact Lexington EMA.

309-261-2597
309-824-5009

01/24/2026

This storm is historic and we will happily sit on the outside of it. 3/4-1.5” of ice, especially in the south, will have people without power and stranded for days, possibly weeks. Our thoughts are with those in the worst of this.

This storm is a MONSTER. The south will be shut down for days. Many won't have power for an extended period of time. Temps will be cold with no big warm-ups coming until February. That's not hype, this is reality. IL got lucky to be on the snow side.

The sheer scale of this event is absolutely incredible. 15 states have declared state of emergencies in preparation for this event. Let's list off this storm's impacts:

-Crippling Ice: This storm will bring damaging Ice to much of the mid-south stretching from Texas where a widespread 1/4-1/2" is expected leading to icy roads in some of the largest cities including Dallas and San Antonio. This Ice will stretch into northern Louisiana, Arkansas and western Mississippi where a devastating 3/4-1.5" is forecasted. This will lead to WIDESPREAD tree damage, bringing down tens of thousands of trees likely and taking out power to a significant number. Ice will stretch east into Tennessee where Nashville could see up to 1/2". It'll continue it's trek east into the Carolinas and Georgia hitting Atlanta next with up to a 1/4". It will continue then up the coast with damaging ice hitting DC and a glaze into Philadelphia and NYC. Overall a massive 1,000+ mile stretch of damaging ice is likely leading to a major test of the power grid across the south. This time tomorrow roads will be closed and we fear over a million could be without power.

-Big time snow: This storm has a snowy side to it too. We here in IL know about it with 8-14" projected in the southern portions. This snow though stretches far, hitting Oklahoma City first walloping them with 12-18"! This will then continue east dumping 12-16" in NW Arkansas and SW Missouri, 8-14" in southern IL/Indiana. This will march east bringing 10-16" to Louisville, then 12-18" to Pittsburg, Boston, NYC, Philly as well as the ENTIRE northeast. This will be the biggest snowstorm in years for many that haven't seen this kind of snow in a while!

-Incredible sleet: The sleet in this storm is absolutely insane. Usually a 1/4" of sleet is crippling to travel, but we're forecasting 4-6" of sleet across the mid-south including Arkansas, Texas into Virginia. Sleet is horrific to plow and push off roads as it forms a hard layer of ice. This will paralyze the region for days potentially and roads will be absolutely ice covered.

This storm is just simply a monster. No other words to put it. Please, stay home, do not travel. This is it folks. It's already begun and we pray we don't have loss of life from this.

01/22/2026

Make sure to get some gas in the tank tonight!

WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER LET YOUR GAS TANK RUN LOW IN EXTREME COLD

This is one of those winter weather tips that sounds random until it matters.

When temperatures drop into the teens or single digits, a low gas tank can actually create problems. It is not because gasoline freezes. Gas does not freeze at these temperatures.

It is because of moisture.

Every gas tank has some air inside it. The emptier the tank, the more air space there is. That air contains moisture. When bitter cold air moves in, that moisture can condense and freeze inside fuel lines.

When that happens, fuel flow can be restricted or blocked. The result can be hard starts, sputtering, or in some cases a car that will not start at all.

Keeping your tank at least half full reduces the amount of air and moisture inside the tank. That lowers the chance of ice forming in the fuel system.

There is another reason this matters during winter storms. If you get stuck in traffic, slide off the road, or lose power somewhere, your car may be your only source of heat. You need enough fuel to safely run the engine for warmth while waiting for help.

Bottom line. In extreme cold, a fuller tank is a safer tank. It is a small step that can prevent a big headache when temperatures drop dangerously low.

01/21/2026

The forecast for snow keeps growing, possibly up to two inches now. It will likely change again. The real show will be the bitter cold. Keep blankets in your car and dress the part! This cold will be no joke. Negative 25-30 Friday morning, and Monday morning doesn’t look much different.
If you plan on traveling to any southern state this weekend, I would rethink your plans. Devastating ice storm headed their way.

All the attention is of course on the snow, but we really should be looking at the bitter cold with extra awareness as that will bring the greatest impacts locally. Some dangerous cold ahead around and after this winter system slides by to our south. Any snow is just insult on top of injury in my opinion.

01/20/2026

Anyone feel it around 1:30am?

EARTHQUAKE - a 3.5 magnitude earthquake was reported in central Illinois early this morning - just south of Taylorville

01/18/2026

Remember to be wary of pages posting a single model’s predictions. It’s clickbait.