If you are looking for fresh snow by Christmas morning or are curious about potential travel disruptions, the best chances for at least 1" of new snowfall early this week exist across the mountainous West, Great Lakes, and Northeast. Otherwise, temperatures this last full week of December will average above normal for much of the lower 48 states. Read More >
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 100 PM CST WED FEB 14 2007 AN INTENSE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA DURING THE PAST 48 HOURS. THE SHARP PRESSURE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS RESULTED IN NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING OVER 40 MPH ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE FELT ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 FROM KANKAKEE TO PONTIAC TO WATSEKA TO RENSSELAER AND POINTS SOUTH... ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS AS THE STRONG WINDS WHIPPED THE FALLING SNOW. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 8 TO 16 INCHES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WHITE OUT CONDITIONS WERE FREQUENT DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM. WHILE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS LESSENED TOWARD THE NORTH... WITH ONLY 2 TO 4 INCHES REPORTED IN THE ROCKFORD AREA AND ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER... THE STRONG WINDS WERE A PROBLEM EVERYWHERE... ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. SNOW DRIFTS UP TO 5 FEET DEEP WERE NOT UNCOMMON AND POSED A CHALLENGE TO MANY SNOW PLOWS OPERATORS AND EVEN RESIDENTS TRYING TO CLEAR THEIR DRIVEWAYS. ACROSS CHICAGOLAND SNOWFALL GENERALLY RANGED FROM 5 TO 11 INCHES. THE OFFICIAL MEASUREMENT AT OHARE AIRPORT... 10.2 INCHES... WILL GO INTO THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE 51ST BIGGEST 2 DAY SNOWSTORM IN THE PAST 123 YEARS. THE LAST TIME THIS MUCH SNOW FELL AT CHICAGO OHARE WAS JAN 21-22 OF 2005 WHEN 11.0 INCHES OF SNOW WAS RECORDED. THE 8.8 INCHES OF SNOW WHICH FELL FROM MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 13 2007 SET A RECORD FOR THE SNOWIEST FEBRUARY 13 ON RECORD, AND TIED FOR THE 30TH SNOWIEST SINGLE DAY IN CHICAGO WEATHER HISTORY... SINCE 1884. AT THE OFFICIAL CLIMATE STATION FOR MIDWAY AIRPORT THE SNOWIEST DAY EVER TO BE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY WAS SET YESTERDAY WITH 9.7 INCHES OF SNOW MEASURED. THIS SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 9.3 INCHES RECORDED ON FEBRUARY 6 OF 1978. WEATHER RECORDS AT MIDWAY DATE BACK TO 1928. -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST FOR THE FEBRUARY 13-14 SNOWSTORM. PLEASE NOTE THAT SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS MAY BE HIGHLY VARIABLE FROM PLACE TO PLACE AS A RESULT OF THE STRONG WINDS ON TUESDAY. DATA PROVIDED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND PUBLIC REPORTS. -------------------------------------------------------------------- .LOCATION... .COUNTY... .TOTAL SNOWFALL... -------------------------------------------------------------------- PAXTON FORD 16.0 HERSCHER KANKAKEE 14.9 WHITING LAKE(IN) 14.6 MILFORD 5NW IROQUOIS 13.5 BATAVIA KANE 12.0 CHATSWORTH LIVINGSTON 12.0 WATSEKA IROQUOIS 12.0 WILLOWBROOK DUPAGE 11.8 HIGHLAND LAKE(IN) 11.5 LINCOLNWOOD COOK 11.3 RENSSELAER JASPER 11.1 OAK BROOK DUPAGE 11.0 LA GRANGE COOK 10.6 WINFIELD DUPAGE 10.5 CHICAGO OHARE COOK 10.2 MOUNT MORRIS OGLE 10.2 WHEATON 3SE DUPAGE 10.1 KENTLAND NEWTON 10.0 MIDWAY 3SW COOK 9.9 LAKE VILLAGE NEWTON 9.8 OAK PARK COOK 9.8 STREAMWOOD COOK 8.8 BARRINGTON COOK 8.5 VALPARAISO 5NNE PORTER 8.5 PARK FOREST COOK 8.5 ST ANNE KANKAKEE 8.5 BEECHER WILL 8.4 PLAINFIELD WILL 8.4 SCHERERVILLE LAKE(IN) 8.4 VALPARAISO 3SE PORTER 8.3 ROMEOVILLE NWS WILL 8.2 MUNDELEIN LAKE(IL) 8.1 CALUMET CITY COOK 8.0 NORTHBROOK COOK 7.9 ST CHARLES 7NW KANE 7.8 CHICAGO NW SIDE COOK 7.5 GLEN ELLYN DUPAGE 7.5 JOLIET WILL 7.3 BOURBONNAIS KANKAKEE 7.2 GENOA 2SW DEKALB 7.1 CHESTERTON LAKE(IN) 7.0 WHEELING COOK 7.0 ISLAND LAKE MCHENRY 7.0 GRAYSLAKE LAKE(IL) 6.7 MARSEILLES LASALLE 6.7 RICHTON PARK COOK 6.6 FAIRBURY LIVINGSTON 6.5 FRANKFORT COOK 6.4 SPRING GROVE MCHENRY 6.3 BEACH PARK LAKE(IL) 6.2 OAK LAWN COOK 6.2 DWIGHT LIVINGSTON 6.0 MANHATTAN WILL 5.6 MORRIS GRUNDY 5.6 ANTIOCH LAKE(IL) 5.5 DEKALB DEKALB 5.5 ELGIN KANE 5.5 KANKAKEE KANKAKEE 5.4 COAL CITY 4NNW GRUNDY 5.3 PERU LASALLE 5.2 DIXON LEE 5.1 CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDENS COOK 5.0 OTTAWA 4SW LASALLE 5.0 NAPERVILLE DUPAGE 4.8 JOLIET 2N WILL 4.6 JOLIET LOCK/DAM WILL 4.5 PAW PAW LEE 4.5 ROCKFORD WSW WINNEBAGO 4.5 WANATAH PORTER 4.0 WAUCONDA LAKE(IL) 3.9 WOODSTOCK 5NW MCHENRY 3.9 DIXON EAST SIDE LEE 3.6 MELROSE PARK COOK 3.5 ROCKFORD AIRPORT WINNEBAGO 3.5 MCHENRY MCHENRY 3.3 SANDWICH DEKALB 3.2 OAK BROOK DUPAGE 3.0 ROSCOE WINNEBAGO 3.0 YORKVILLE 2SE KANE 2.8 HEBRON PORTER 2.5 NEWARK 2SSE KANE 2.2 SOUTH BELOIT 3SE WINNEBAGO 2.2 WOODSTOCK MCHENRY 2.1 BELVIDERE 6SE BOONE 2.0 CAPRON BOONE 2.0 HARVARD MCHENRY 2.0 CICERO COOK 1.6 OAK BROOK DUPAGE 1.5 ROCHELLE OGLE 1.0 $$ FENELON/STACHNIK/MOTT