Groundhog: Early spring…Chicago hopes so!
Happy Groundhog Day!
Punxutawney Phil saw no shadow today...predicting spring is right around the corner. I don't know if "Chaska Chuck" or "Cottage Grove Charlie" would agree in Minnesota where the sun was bright this morning.
Still, it's a great day to be a weatherman. It's a tough day to live in Chicago and many other Midwest and Northeastern U.S. cities. Let's start in Chicago.
Chicago: 3rd biggest snowstorm on record
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The 20.2" snow bomb at Chicago's O'Hare Airport makes this the 3rd biggest snowstorm on record in Chicago. It's also only the 3rd storm or record to produce 20" or greater. Here's the data from Chicago NWS.
And the map...
Here are some more totals!
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1246 PM CST WED FEB 02 2011
...MORNING SNOWFALL ROUNDUP...
THE FOLLOWING ARE SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE PREVIOUS 24-HOURS.
OBSERVATIONS ARE USUALLY TAKEN AT 7 AM.
24-HOUR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR WEDNESDAY(02/02/11)...
NORTHERN ILLINOIS SNOW
LOCATION (COUNTY): FALL(INCHES)
WOODSTOCK 5NW (MCHENRY)......................21.1
SPRING GROVE 2N (MCHENRY)....................20.8
ST. CHARLES 6NW (KANE).......................20.6
ANTIOCH (LAKE)...............................20.0
BEACH PARK 1W (LAKE).........................20.0
OTTAWA 1NW (LA SALLE)........................20.0
MARSEILLES 6WNW (LA SALLE)...................20.0
HOFFMAN ESTATES 5W (COOK)....................19.0
PARK FOREST 1NNE (COOK)......................19.0
WESTMONT 1SSE (DU PAGE)......................19.0
NORTH AURORA 2NE (KANE)......................19.0
ST. CHARLES (KANE)...........................19.0
PARK FOREST (COOK)...........................19.0
ST CHARLES (KANE)............................19.0
ELK GROVE VILLAGE 2WSW (COOK)................18.5
INVERNESS 2S (COOK)..........................18.2
ELK GROVE VILLAGE 1ESE (COOK)................18.0
NAPERVILLE 3ESE (DU PAGE)....................18.0
WAUKEGAN 2N (LAKE)...........................18.0
RIVERWOODS (LAKE)............................18.0
SHERIDAN (LA SALLE)..........................18.0
WONDER LAKE 1WNW (MCHENRY)...................18.0
PAW PAW (LEE)................................18.0
NAPERVILLE 1NW (DU PAGE).....................17.9
OAK BROOK (DU PAGE)..........................17.7
LAKE ZURICH (LAKE)...........................17.5
MUNDELEIN (LAKE).............................17.5
ALSIP (COOK).................................17.3
GENOA (DE KALB)..............................17.1
BARRINGTON (LAKE)............................17.0
ELBURN (KANE)................................17.0
OAK PARK 1SW (COOK)..........................17.0
LA GRANGE PARK 1SSW (COOK)...................17.0
LISLE (DU PAGE)..............................17.0
LILY LAKE 2E (KANE)..........................17.0
HOMER GLEN 1ENE (WILL).......................17.0
JOLIET (WILL)................................17.0
WAUCONDA (LAKE)..............................17.0
WATSEKA 5W (IROQUOIS)........................16.5
OTTAWA (LA SALLE)............................16.5
STREAMWOOD (COOK)............................16.5
BULL VALLEY 2WNW (MCHENRY)...................16.1
CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON)......................16.0
DWIGHT (LIVINGSTON)..........................16.0
BRIDGEVIEW 1NNW (COOK).......................16.0
CHICAGO RIDGE (COOK).........................16.0
ELBURN 3NNE (KANE)...........................16.0
SHERIDAN 3SSE (LA SALLE).....................16.0
RANSOM 3NNE (LA SALLE).......................16.0
CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON)......................16.0
DE KALB (DE KALB)............................15.7
DE KALB 1SSW (DE KALB).......................15.5
HEBRON (MCHENRY).............................15.3
MELROSE PARK 2NW (COOK)......................15.3
PONTIAC 1ESE (LIVINGSTON)....................15.3
OAK PARK 2S (COOK)...........................15.0
GENEVA 2ENE (KANE)...........................15.0
LINCOLNSHIRE 1N (LAKE).......................15.0
BYRON 3N (OGLE)..............................15.0
PEOTONE (WILL)...............................15.0
PIPER CITY (FORD)............................15.0
PEOTONE (WILL)...............................15.0
PONTIAC (LIVINGSTON).........................15.0
WINFIELD (DU PAGE)...........................15.0
CAROL STREAM (DU PAGE).......................14.8
CORTLAND (DE KALB)...........................14.6
MONTGOMERY 1SSE (KENDALL)....................14.5
MONTGOMERY 2SSE (KENDALL)....................14.5
OTTAWA 2N (LA SALLE).........................14.5
ROCKFORD 3NE (WINNEBAGO).....................14.3
LISLE 1SE (DU PAGE)..........................14.1
AURORA 4SE (DU PAGE).........................14.0
ROSELLE 1ESE (DU PAGE).......................14.0
BATAVIA 1WNW (KANE)..........................14.0
NEW LENOX 2SE (WILL).........................14.0
MOMENCE (KANKAKEE)...........................14.0
Phil: Spring right around the corner!
The Midwest mega-storm delivered a cloudy rainy day to Punxutawney. That means Phil saw no shadow...and folklore says spring is right around the corner. ABC News has the video.
[image]
Trouble with Phil is...he's only 39% accurate according to Stormfax.
Minnesota: Thaws ahead?
There is some good news in our weather pattern for those who want ot warm up. An undulating jet stream means that our cold spells should be broken by periodic thaws over the next couple of weeks.
Temperatures will recover toward 20 Thursday, and we'll have a shot at 30+ as we head into the weekend!
Hang in there!
PH