Fast Facts

• The official snowfall for Chicago was 7.8" observed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

• The official snowfall for Rockford was 6.3" observed at Chicago Rockford International Airport.

• Other snowfall amounts include 5.6" at the NWS Chicago in Romeoville and 7.0" observed 3 miles southwest of Chicago Midway International Airport.

Event Snow Totals

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1122 AM CST MON DEC 12 2016


...2-DAY SNOWFALL ROUND-UP...

THE FOLLOWING ARE SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS
AS MEASURED IN THE MORNING BY NWS COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS
AND COCORAHS OBSERVERS. OBSERVATIONS ARE USUALLY
TAKEN AT 7 AM.

  2-DAY SNOW TOTALS FOR MONDAY (12/12/16)
     AS OF 11:22 AM CST

ILLINOIS                                 2-DAY SNOW FALL
  LOCATION (COUNTY):                         AMT(IN) REPORTS

  HARVARD 3SSE (MCHENRY).......................11.7     (2)
  BULL VALLEY 2WNW (MCHENRY)...................10.8     (2)
  HARVARD (MCHENRY).............................9.5     (2)
  RIVERWOODS (LAKE).............................9.3     (2)
  LAKE ZURICH (LAKE)............................9.1     (2)
  HIGHWOOD 1S (LAKE)............................9.0     (2)
  GENOA (DE KALB)...............................8.8     (2)
  WOODSTOCK 5NW (MCHENRY).......................8.7     (2)
  WOODSTOCK 4SW (MCHENRY).......................8.5     (2)
  WONDER LAKE 1WNW (MCHENRY)....................8.1     (2)
  SCHAUMBURG 2E (COOK)..........................8.1     (2)
  DOWNERS GROVE 0.4NNE (DU PAGE)...............11.7     (3)
  ST. CHARLES (KANE)............................8.0     (2)
  WAUKEGAN 2N (LAKE)............................7.9     (2)
  ELK GROVE VILLAGE 1ESE (COOK).................7.9     (2)
  OHARE (COOK)..................................7.8     (2)
  LAKE VILLA 1SSW (LAKE)........................7.8     (2)
  BEACH PARK 1W (LAKE)..........................7.8     (2)
  ELGIN 2W (KANE)...............................7.8     (2)
  HOFFMAN ESTATES 5W (COOK).....................7.8     (2)
  ROSCOE 2SE (WINNEBAGO)........................7.7     (2)
  ROSCOE 2ESE (WINNEBAGO).......................7.7     (2)
  LAKE VILLA 2WSW (LAKE)........................7.7     (2)
  BARRINGTON (LAKE).............................7.7     (2)
  FOX LAKE 2SE (LAKE)...........................7.7     (2)
  ELK GROVE VILLAGE 2WSW (COOK).................7.7     (2)
  PARK FOREST (COOK)............................7.5     (2)
  BUFFALO GROVE 2N (LAKE).......................7.5     (2)
  LINCOLNSHIRE 1N (LAKE)........................7.5     (2)
  GENEVA 4WSW (KANE)............................7.5     (2)
  BOTANIC GARDENS (COOK)........................7.5     (2)
  WILLOW SPRINGS (COOK).........................7.4     (2)
  MUNDELEIN 2WNW (LAKE).........................7.4     (2)
  GENEVA 1SSW (KANE)............................7.3     (2)
  MUNDELEIN (LAKE)..............................7.2     (2)
  MIDWAY COOP (COOK)............................7.0     (2)
  ROCKFORD 1NW (WINNEBAGO)......................7.0     (2)
  BATAVIA 1WSW (KANE)...........................7.0     (2)
  ROSELLE 1ESE (DU PAGE)........................7.0     (2)
  PARK RIDGE 1WNW (COOK)........................7.0     (2)
  BATAVIA 2WNW (KANE)...........................6.9     (2)
  MCHENRY (MCHENRY).............................6.7     (2)
  PALATINE 1E (COOK)............................6.7     (2)
  ELMHURST 1ESE (DU PAGE).......................6.7     (2)
  ROCKFORD 2ENE (WINNEBAGO).....................6.5     (2)
  NAPERVILLE 1NW (DU PAGE)......................6.5     (2)
  OAK PARK 2S (COOK)............................6.5     (2)
  PARK RIDGE (COOK).............................6.4     (2)
  ROCKFORD (WINNEBAGO)..........................6.3     (2)
  LISLE 1SE (DU PAGE)...........................6.3     (2)
  LINCOLNWOOD 2E (COOK).........................6.2     (2)
  MONEE (WILL)..................................6.1     (2)
  CRETE 3E (WILL)...............................6.1     (2)
  BATAVIA (KANE)................................6.1     (2)
  BYRON 3N (OGLE)...............................6.0     (2)
  NORTH AURORA 2NE (KANE).......................6.0     (2)
  ELBURN (KANE).................................6.0     (2)
  OAK LAWN 2WNW (COOK)..........................6.0     (2)
  ELBURN (KANE).................................6.0     (2)
  AMBOY (LEE)...................................6.0     (2)
  SUGAR GROVE 1NE (KANE)........................5.9     (2)
  LISLE (DU PAGE)...............................5.9     (2)
  PEOTONE (WILL)................................5.8     (2)
  LA GRANGE PARK 1SSW (COOK)....................5.8     (2)
  ROMEOVILLE (WILL).............................5.6     (2)
  DE KALB (DE KALB).............................5.6     (2)
  ROGERS PARK 2SW (COOK)........................5.6     (2)
  NEW LENOX 2SE (WILL)..........................5.5     (2)
  ST. CHARLES 6NW (KANE)........................5.5     (2)
  ELGIN 1S (KANE)...............................5.5     (2)
  NAPERVILLE 2SE (DU PAGE)......................5.5     (2)
  SOMONAUK 2NE (DE KALB)........................5.5     (2)
  LINCOLNWOOD 3E (COOK).........................5.5     (2)
  CHICAGO RIDGE (COOK)..........................5.5     (2)
  CHICAGO 6ESE (COOK)...........................5.5     (2)
  ELGIN (KANE)..................................5.5     (2)
  CAPRON (BOONE)................................5.4     (2)
  BURR RIDGE 2SW (DU PAGE)......................5.3     (2)
  LANSING (COOK)................................5.2     (2)
  PARK FOREST 1SW (COOK)........................5.2     (2)
  HOMER GLEN 1ENE (WILL)........................5.1     (2)
  BOLINGBROOK 3NE (DU PAGE).....................5.1     (2)
  JOLIET LOCK/DAM (WILL)........................5.0     (2)
  DE KALB (DE KALB).............................5.0     (2)
  MANHATTAN (WILL)..............................4.9     (2)
  MANHATTAN 5ENE (WILL).........................4.9     (2)
  PLAINFIELD 5SW (KENDALL)......................4.9     (2)
  CORTLAND (DE KALB)............................4.9     (2)
  PALOS PARK 1SW (COOK).........................4.9     (2)
  WORTH (COOK)..................................4.9     (2)
  YORKVILLE 2SE (KENDALL).......................4.8     (2)
  OAK LAWN (COOK)...............................4.7     (2)
  NAPERVILLE 4SSW (WILL)........................4.7     (2)
  LISLE MORTON ARB (DU PAGE)....................4.6     (2)
  NEW LENOX 3E (WILL)...........................4.5     (2)
  LOCKPORT 1SE (WILL)...........................4.5     (2)
  GURNEE 2W (LAKE)..............................4.5     (1)
  LAKE FOREST 2NNE (LAKE).......................4.5     (1)
  PLAINFIELD (WILL).............................4.4     (2)
  MOKENA 1W (WILL)..............................4.4     (2)
  HOMEWOOD (COOK)...............................4.4     (2)
  WILMINGTON 3SE (WILL).........................4.3     (2)
  JOLIET 2N (WILL)..............................4.2     (2)
  NEW LENOX 4SE (WILL)..........................4.2     (2)
  MONTGOMERY 1SSE (KENDALL).....................4.0     (2)
  EARLVILLE 3S (LA SALLE).......................4.0     (2)
  DIXON (LEE)...................................4.0     (2)
  STEWARD (LEE).................................3.9     (2)
  ASHTON (LEE)..................................3.9     (2)
  MANHATTAN 2SE (WILL)..........................3.8     (2)
  OTTAWA 2N (LA SALLE)..........................3.8     (2)
  PLAINFIELD 2SSE (WILL)........................3.6     (2)
  OTTAWA 1NW (LA SALLE).........................3.5     (2)
  DIXON 2SW (LEE)...............................3.5     (2)
  MOMENCE (KANKAKEE)............................3.2     (2)
  LA SALLE (LA SALLE)...........................3.2     (2)
  CARBON HILL 3.1N (GRUNDY).....................3.2     (2)
  COAL CITY 4NNW (GRUNDY).......................3.2     (2)
  ST ANNE (KANKAKEE)............................3.0     (2)
  MAZON 0.5ENE (GRUNDY).........................3.0     (2)
  BOURBONNAIS (KANKAKEE)........................3.0     (2)
  MORRIS 6ESE (GRUNDY)..........................2.9     (2)
  OTTAWA (LA SALLE).............................2.7     (2)
  MINOOKA (GRUNDY)..............................2.6     (2)
  PAW PAW (LEE).................................2.5     (2)
  MORRIS (GRUNDY)...............................2.5     (2)
  BONFIELD 4WSW (KANKAKEE)......................2.5     (2)
  ASHKUM 5.6E (IROQUOIS)........................2.4     (2)
  STREATOR 4ENE (LA SALLE)......................2.0     (2)
  WATSEKA 6.9WNW (IROQUOIS).....................2.0     (2)
  MARSEILLES (LA SALLE).........................1.9     (2)
  CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON).......................1.0     (2)
  DWIGHT (LIVINGSTON)...........................1.0     (2)
  CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON).......................1.0     (2)

INDIANA                                    2-DAY SNOW FALL
  LOCATION (COUNTY):                         AMT(IN) REPORTS

  CHESTERTON 4E (PORTER)........................7.5     (2)
  CROWN POINT (LAKE)............................7.2     (2)
  (KB9F)VALPARAISO 4S (PORTER)..................7.0     (2)
  (W9MAL)MERRILLVILLE 2NNW (LAKE)...............7.0     (2)
  VALPARAISO 6WSW (PORTER)......................6.6     (2)
  LAKES OF THE FOUR SEASONS 2NNE (PORTER).......6.6     (2)
  CROWN POINT 1N (LAKE).........................6.6     (2)
  DE MOTTE 1NNW (JASPER)........................6.5     (2)
  PORTAGE 3E (PORTER)...........................6.0     (2)
  HEBRON 4NE (PORTER)...........................6.0     (2)
  PORTER 1S (PORTER)............................5.9     (2)
  VALPARAISO 6SSW (PORTER)......................5.5     (2)
  DE MOTTE 4SW (JASPER).........................5.5     (2)
  VALPARAISO 1SE (PORTER).......................5.3     (2)
  REMINGTON (JASPER)............................5.2     (2)
  VALPARAISO 4SW (PORTER).......................5.0     (2)
  DE MOTTE 6S (JASPER)..........................4.5     (2)
  DYER 1WNW (LAKE)..............................4.0     (2)
  REMINGTON (JASPER)............................4.0     (2)
  RENSSELAER (JASPER)...........................3.1     (2)
  MOROCCO (NEWTON)..............................3.0     (2)
  CROWN POINT 2WSW (LAKE).......................3.0     (2)
  MOUNT AYR 2NNE (NEWTON).......................2.6     (2)

$$

Storm Reports

    
                        

829

NWUS53 KLOT 201835

LSRLOT



Preliminary Local Storm Report

National Weather Service Chicago IL

1235 PM CST Fri Dec 20 2024



..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...

..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....

            ..REMARKS..



0800 AM     Snow             1 NE Winfield           41.88N 88.15W

12/20/2024  M2.1 Inch        DuPage             IL   Trained Spotter









&&



$$



ZY








                

Meteorology

The second snow event of the season, this one also during the weekend, was a longer duration event that was truly made up of two meteorological systems.  The first was a minor upper disturbance that produced lift and saturation in an inherent cold atmosphere, favorable for larger dendritic snowflake growth.  The second system was about 12 hours later, with occasional flurries/light snow in-between.  This second upper level disturbance was a stronger one and steered high moisture northward over the area.  The snow caused by this event was a more wet snow, with snowflakes sticking together as they fell.  Both "bursts" of snow activity had rates near or over one inch per hour at times north of I-80. 

December 10, 2016: Radar loop from noon to midnight	December 11, 2016: Radar loop from midnight to noon	December 11, 2016: Radar loop from noon to midnight

December 11, 2016:  NWS Chicago Doppler Radar Reflectivity loop from 9 a.m. through 10 p.m.  The yellow areas indicate over 30 dBZ echoes of snow that are indicative of a high number of snowflakes or large snowflakes, or both.  These echoes were often in stripes correlating with snow bands. The forcing for this was a developing frontogenetic circulation in response to the deepening of the weather system and tightening of the temperature gradient aloft.

December 11, 2016:  NWS Chicago Doppler Radar Reflectivity image from 4:45 pm  Heavy snow bands across Lake and McHenry Counties southwest through DuPage, Kane, DeKalb, and LaSalle Counties.

December 11, 2016:  RAP Analysis of 500 mb at 6 p.m.  The colors indicate the mid-level winds and the black lines heights.  The short wave trough moving across the Upper Midwest and the associated jet promoted widespread lift and deformation across northern Illinois, which favored the development of the frontogenetic circulation and snow bands.	December 11, 2016:  RAP Analysis of Precipitable Water (PWAT) at 3 p.m.  Moisture values in excess of 0.6 inches are high for all snow events.  Similar to the prior Sunday, the snow became more wet and coupled with the light winds at the surface, it stuck to many objects such as trees.  The 6 pm NWS Lincoln, IL weather balloon confirmed these values with 0.71" PWAT observed.

December 10, 2016 6 p.m.:  RAP model analysis in far northern Illinois	December 11, 2016 9 a.m.:  RAP model analysis in far northern Illinois	December 11, 2016 6 p.m.:  RAP model analysis in far northern Illinois

Additional

Photos

Photo courtesy of Christian Lyon, Lakeview area of Chicago, IL	Photo courtesy of Christine McEvilly in the southwest Suburbs

Links

• Adjacent Areas:  Northwest IL   Central IL     WI    Northern IN    Central IN
• National Snowfall Totals
• Snow Depth Information
• Create Your Own Observed Snowfall Map
• Winter 2016-2017 Events in the Local Area
• NWS Chicago Past Events Page