Snowfall Totals from Super Bowl Sunday Blizzard

After 33 straight hours of snow at O'Hare, this blizzard blanketed the Chicago area with a foot and a half of snow and focus shifts to cleanup of Chicago's 5th biggest snowstorm. Below is a complete list of snowfall totals from across the area. Don't see your town on the list? Let me know and I can get you a snowfall total for it.

Final Snowfall Totals

Lincolnshire                22.0”

Oak Lawn                   21.5”

Elmhurst                     20.8

Lincolnwood               19.7”

O’Hare                       19.3” (Official Chicago Total)

Midway                       19.2”

Downers Grove           19.1”

Schaumburg                18.7”

Lake Forest                 18.5”

Lombard                      18.2”

Winnetka                     18.1”

Roselle                        18.0”

Oak Park                    .18.0”

Elk Grove Village        18.0”

Hoffman Estates         18.0”

Harwood Heights        17.5”

Westmont                    17.5”

Plainfield                     16.8”

Buffalo Grove              16.7”

Lockport                      16.5”

Countryside                16.5”

Geneva                       16.2”

New Lenox                  16.0”

DeKalb                        15.9”

Joliet                            15.6”

Sugar Grove                15.5”

Romeoville                  15.3”

Park Ridge                  15.3”
Aurora                         15.0”

Naperville                    14.7”

Elgin                            14.5”

Bolingbrook                 14.5”

Rockford                     14.4”

Palatine                       14.1”

Cary                             13.8”  

McHenry                     13.5”

Mundelein                   13.5”

LaSalle                        13.4”

Waukegan                   13.3”

Gurnee                        13.0”

Alsip                            12.5”

Belvidere                     12.0”

Coal City                      11.3"

Totals gathered from the NWS CoCoRahs and trained spotters. 

Blizzard Ends; Sets Records

The Super Bowl (or SuperSnow Sunday) Blizzard of 2015 is in the books and we set all kinds of records. By the time the snow was all said and done early this morning, Chicago O'Hare received 19.3", which is now the 5th biggest snowstorm in Chicago history. Other records from this storm:

1. The 16.2" on February 1st was the most snow in a single calendar day in the month of February and the 4th most single calendar day snow in Chicago history. (The most is 18.6" on January 2nd, 1999).
2. The 0.87" liquid equivalent was a record for the date of February 1st, surpassing the old record of 0.77" set on February 1 of 2011.
3. The 19.3" storm total at O'Hare now ranks 5th on the all time list and is the most since the Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011 which fell on the exact same days as this storm.

Official Snowfall Amounts
Chicago O'Hare: 19.3"
Chicago Midway: 19.2"
Romeoville (NWS Office): 15.3"
Rockford: 11.9"

Stay tuned to the blog and my Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest. A full rundown of the entire snowfall totals across the region will be on the blog later this evening.

SuperSnow Sunday Blizzard Winds Down; Breaks Records

A snowstorm for the record books is winding down as we head into Groundhog's Day. Snow has stopped out to the west but some lake effect snow continues in lakeside counties of Cook, DuPage and Lake counties. Additional accumulations of 1-3" expected across those areas as the Blizzard Warning continues until midnight.

Snowfall totals are ranging between 12-18" across most of the area. As of 6pm, O'Hare had 14.2", and an unofficial 8:45 report clocked the airport's total at 16.0". We will get an official total at midnight, although it's likely that it will still be snowing at midnight so the 6am report will likely be the final storm total. A complete wrap up of local snowfall totals will be on the blog tomorrow afternoon.

This storm has broken the record for most snow on Super Bowl Sunday, most snow in a single calendar day and will rank as #6 on the all time biggest snows list. Full details to come tomorrow once the storm is fully said and done.

In the meantime, travel conditions should be much better in the morning, but roads will still be slick and many side streets will likely still be unplowed. Avoid alleys as those are not typically plowed. Give yourself extra time in the morning and make sure you have a full tank of gas, as well as a shovel and other safety items in the event that you do get stuck. Remember to stay tuned to the Facebook page and Twitter for quick updates and snowfall totals.

The above photo shows the blizzard on my block on the northwest side this afternoon.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR CHICAGO AREA

On the 4th anniversary of the famous Blizzard of 2011, also known as Snowpocalypse, Chicago is in the midst of yet another blizzard, although this one might not seem quite the same as that blizzard. What makes this different from that storm?

The Blizzard of 2011 was predicted nearly two weeks in advance. Snowfall rates reached 3-4" per hour, and the snow fell in less than a 24 hour period. Total snowfall was 20.2" at O'Hare Airport, good enough for 3rd on the all time list.

Four years later, The Blizzard of 2015 is in full force. This storm was once predicted to only bring 3-6" of snow to the area. This is a long duration snow event, with total snow time of over 30 hours by the time its all said and done. While totals could definitely approach the 20" mark in some areas, snowfall rates will not reach 3-4" per hour in this storm. The main reason for the blizzard criteria is because of reduced visibilities (1/4 mile or less) for a minimum of three hours.

As of noon, O'Hare is reporting 8.5" of snow with MUCH MUCH more on the way. Lake effect snow appears to kicking it downwind of the lake as well. Expect most areas to finish in a 12-16" range with some isolated 18" or more totals definitely possible.

If you have to drive, please be safe. Drive slow, and allow yourself extra time. Stay tuned to this blog as well as my Facebook page and Twitter for the latest.

First Major Winter Storm of Season Has Arrived

The 2014-2015 winter season got of to a rather quite start, with Chicago receiving just a trace of snow the entire month of December. When the calendar flipped into the new year though, January turned snowier, logging over 15" of snow. February is starting even snowier as Chicago braces for its first MAJOR winter storm of 2015, on the anniversary of the famous Snowpocalypse that dumped 20.2" of snow on the city of Chicago.

While this storm won't quite reach that high, totals in excess of 12" are likely in many areas across the region. Computer guidance continues to spit out totals of 12-14" across the area and that doesn't even factor in lake effect snow, which could affect lakeside counties late Sunday night and into Monday. So for now, light snow is falling across the Chicagoland area and will increase intensity as the morning wears on. Expect 3-5" of snow by the time you wake up in the morning. Snow will continue ALL day tomorrow before finally tapering off early Monday morning. A WINTER STORM WARNING is in effect until 6am Monday morning, but the NWS in Chicago could upgrade that to a BLIZZARD WARNING as conditions are suppose to reach blizzard intensities tomorrow afternoon due to howling winds, gusting over 40 mph, coupled with the falling snow. 

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day on this evolving winter storm. Some local records to keep an eye on:

• Chicago's largest SuperBowl Sunday snow is 6.8" in 1977. That record WILL fall today.
• If Chicago logs 14.3" or more at O'Hare Airport, this storm will go into the Top 10 BIGGEST snows in Chicago history. 

Stay tuned to this blog, my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tadychsphere) and my twitter (www.twitter.com/tadychsphere) for the latest on the storm.