National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Snow Across the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast; Unsettled Weather in the West

Light to moderate snow will continue into Saturday over the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast. This weekend into next week, a series of atmospheric rivers will bring gusty winds, periods of heavy rain, and mountain snow to northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Colder temperatures are in store for the weekend from the Great Lakes to East Coast. Read More >

Overview

Unusually high Lake Michigan water levels, near record in fact, set the stage for minor flooding impacts with a prolonged, breezy northerly winds on Independence Day weekend 2019. North-northeast winds were regularly gusting 15-25 kt, and while not as strong as usual for flooding events, the wave action on top of high levels resulted in the minor flooding. This was minor but because it was summer and beaches were active, this episode had impacts more so than typical season for lakeshore flood advisory events (autumn, winter, and spring). This included flooding along Chicago area beaches and parts of the city's bike path. A Lakeshore Flood Advisory was issued beforehand, along with a Beach Hazards Statement for rip currents, by NWS Chicago.

Image
Flooding along the Chicago shore on July 6, 2019.
nws logo Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged!
Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site.


Additional recaps can be found on the NWS Chicago Past Events Page
nws logo