Planning a move to Peoria...

[Scio42]

Originally Posted by Dukester

I don't imagine the weather would be much different than B/N right? Towns are only 40 miles apart and the only difference I know of is that Peoria sits in a valley... I am originally from B/N and I remember seeing the Tornado Watch Symbol on the lower part of the screen of the television for about half the summer.

Yeah, the weather's pretty much the same between Peoria & B/N. The last few years, when there's a bad storm, B/N seems to get a bit more rain or snow than Peoria does.

Tornados are just a fact of life of living in Central Illinois (or anywhere in the Midwest). There's usually several watches/warnings every spring & summer. They usually land out in the country and do limited damage. However, every couple of years a town will get hit by one and do some damage (e.g. Springfield 2-3 years ago, the Parsons plant in Roanoke before that, South Pekin before that). Some people around here say that Peoria is less likely to be hit by a tornado because it lies in a valley, but I've never seen any evidence to back that up.

[Scio42]

[quote=linicx;8531524]
What Peoria City and the county road crews do is an excellent job of keeping major city streets, bus routes, Famington Road, Western, Sterling, Farmington, Main and Abington hills open, plus clearing the five bridges and keeping higways 24, 29, 150, 474 and 1-74 open in bad weather. East Peoria and the Tazewell County crew keep the other side of 150 and 24 plus 116, Gernmantown and Creve Coeur hills, 1-74 and 474 clear past Morton.
quote]

I disagree about Peoria city doing an excellent job of clearing city streets (even major ones) after bad snow storms. Peoria city used to do a good job of this. However a little over 2 years ago, the city decided to let about half of it's experienced snow plow operators go and replaced them with new inexperienced crews (many of whom had never operated a snow plow before). Since then, the snow removal has been terrible. Many a time after bad storms (sometimes for days), they'll be inches of icy, slick, compacted snow on the streets even after the plows have run. The Interstate and the towns on the other side of the river (East Peoria, Pekin) will be clear but the streets of Peoria will still be an icy mess. So unfortuantely I think in the last 2 years Peoria's snow removal has gone from pretty good to the worst of the 5 "major" cities in Central Illinois. This last winter was a little better than the year before, but was still pretty bad.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Dukester

I don't imagine the weather would be much different than B/N right? Towns are only 40 miles apart and the only difference I know of is that Peoria sits in a valley... I am originally from B/N and I remember seeing the Tornado Watch Symbol on the lower part of the screen of the television for about half the summer.

Between 1950 and 2007. Mc Lean County had 97 tprmapdes vs 13 in Peoria, the worst being a F-3 in 1965 and an f-4 in 76 that hit between Kickappoo and Dunlap. McClean County had two f-3 tornado in recent years (96 & 06)

The worst hit counties rankings are McLean at # 1 folloed by Sangamon; they are both on 1-55. Logan County is #4, and it is on 1-55 between Springfield and Bloomington. Peoria and Crawford County tie at #22. The common route to these areas area 1-74. The McLean/Logan rankings are reversed for the number of tornadoes per 100 sq miles. Peoria ranks #26. I might add that Morton, East Peoria - Morton had the most - and Washington have all been effected by tornadoes more than once. But Peoria Heights has not been affected at all.

National Weather Service, Lincoln IL -- Tornado Climatology of Central and Southeast Illinois . Click on County

Regardless of how dire the records, none of thse storms have been as devaastating as the tornaodoes that are spawned in Tornadoe Alley. These storms destroy a town the size of Leroy and larger.

Here's a little NOAA snow report for you from 2006. This was a bad year all over. I saw 16". but due to the area where I lived, the snow was gone in a couple of days. But a old oak did fall across three lanes and missed my vehicle by two inches. I was in it.

National Weather Service, Lincoln IL -- Review of Nov 30-Dec 1, 2006 Winter Storm

I called the City Street Department. They guys that left retired. The guys tney put on the plows were experienced. He further saod all the major roads and state routes, and critical routes to hosptials, etcl are open "all the time". And if there is a mojor problm they will send a plwo to our house, or what you need.

Peoria Heights has its own plows, and a lot fewer streets to care fore. I do not deny that Peora area steets in the winder can be hairy with the many valleys and hills, They are not worse than Minnnepaolis, or Detroit, or Kansas City in the winter. And i don't think they are nearly as nasty as being trapped in a sand storm. Or driving in the mountains in ice and snow - but I had a lot of winter practice with stick shift, too. Some of those 9 degree hills in the mountains are just way too mich fun. The simple fact is if you move to IL or IA or IN you will most likely drive in snow and ice in the winter. It takes experience to learn how to drive densively in foul weatern.

It is impssible to compare Peoria and Bloomintong snow removal for a number of reasons. It doesn't sprawl for miles, it does not have bluffs and hills. Bloomington also does hot have two US highways or the same number of schools, 2 Interstate routes. plus four state routes and three hospitals. Peoria County begins at Rt.9 outside of Pekin and extends past Chilecothe. I would say it is a good 50 miles from border to border and it is all state or US highway. Peoria City begins at the Bartonville city boundary and extends up IL 29 to abour IL 6.It is still a good 30 miles. of hightway to maintain,. and probably most of the all the area from 150 to Peoria Heights and as far north as Detweiller,, and probably farther.as Knoxille is IL 40. There is a lot to consider when one talks about snow in Peoria.

Just a footnote about the hills in Peoria. I have driven on every hill in Peoria and Tazewell County including Snake Hill and lower Grandview Drive, in the winter and never had an accident; I never ran off the roade or got stuck in snow I could not drive out of.

You know Bloomington. Is the old book bindery still located down town? No one on this list seem to know the answer. PS: Once upon a tme Bloominton also had an aweson Juewish Deli and privare bar downtown. The bartender shaved her head to make a statement. Its been too long to remember the reason.

[Dukester]

Thanks for all your info as usual. The last time I spent any time in B/N outside of a vacation to see family is back in 96. Since then there has been a lot of changes such as the Cell Collisium. Downtown Normal is going through some innovations as well as I saw the ongoing construction last summer when I went back for a week to see my father and siblings. I think there is a new hotel going in and a new department, art or something belonging to ISU? Don't recall of a bindery in bloomington, it has been a long time so I just don't know...

[Dukester]

Originally Posted by Scio42

Yeah, the weather's pretty much the same between Peoria & B/N. The last few years, when there's a bad storm, B/N seems to get a bit more rain or snow than Peoria does.

Tornados are just a fact of life of living in Central Illinois (or anywhere in the Midwest). There's usually several watches/warnings every spring & summer. They usually land out in the country and do limited damage. However, every couple of years a town will get hit by one and do some damage (e.g. Springfield 2-3 years ago, the Parsons plant in Roanoke before that, South Pekin before that). Some people around here say that Peoria is less likely to be hit by a tornado because it lies in a valley, but I've never seen any evidence to back that up.

Tornados and weather systems always fascinate me... I remember when I was in my 20's I followed a storm system in my car North of B/N hoping to spot a funnel cloud or a touchdown. No such luck, just a lot of lightening.

[Scio42]

A lot of info as always. It's always funny the way the Peoria Dep of Public works describes snow removal service ever since the Dec. 1, 2006 storm. The plow operators that left that year did retire, "early retirement" for many if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, the city council notes from Dec 2006 & later on June 12, 2007 (after the outcome of the snow removal study was published) say something different about the snow removal service:

City Clerk Minutes - City of Peoria, Illinois

As well as a few examples from local media:

No confidence vote cast for streets department manager - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com

Story Detail

It's rather odd that the interstate through town can be clear, the other side of the river can be clear (e.g. East Peoria) yet Peoria does not have even it's major streets (e.g. University, Knoxville, War Memorial, Allen, Sterling) cleared. After living in Peoria for 10 years, I can say the 2006/2007 snow removal was really terrible. The 2008/2009 removal was better (but still pretty bad). In 2000 we had 12" of snow in a day, yet Peoria was able to clear the streets for that storm in a reasonable amount of time. Anyway, hopefully they'll have it together next year.

[Scio42]

Originally Posted by Dukester

Tornados and weather systems always fascinate me... I remember when I was in my 20's I followed a storm system in my car North of B/N hoping to spot a funnel cloud or a touchdown. No such luck, just a lot of lightening.

I saw one tornado that touched down near Springfield when I was a kid. They're interesting to watch from afar, but less interesting and more worrysome when they're near your house. I remember another time that a tornado had passed a few miles north of where I lived (couldn't see it). It had been rather dry and as the tornado passed through a few corn fields, it sucked up quite a bit of dust and scattered it miles away (i.e. were I lived). It actually rained dust that day, weird.

[linicx]

Dukester,

"Black ice and white outs" are the only real winter driving problem you might encouter between Morton and Bloomington - and only then - if you are drivng into a heavy blowing snow. It is the type or weather related condition that is found most often in rural areas. Is is 100 times more dangerous than isolated patches of ice or a normal snow fall in any community. Watch trucks. A semi creeping on I-74 is big red flag.

[Dukester]

Anyone have a NOAA Link on where you are obtaining your information? I went to their home page and it is overwhelmed with links that direct to different pages...

Thanks...

[linicx]

Dukester, here are the NOAA links to every tornado in central Ilinois 1950-2007 that I posted on aother thread. Look at message #7.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/illin...t-central.html

Unfortunately I cannot provide links to my personal experiences with black ice on 1-74 near Morton or white-out conditions in Mason County. I think these are freak winter events where the weather conditions have to be ripe - just as weather conditions have to be ripe to spawn a tornado. I think I can explain what happens, but I am not a expert. Once was enough.