Winter Storm of January 31-February 1, 2015
A winter storm tracked across central Illinois on Sunday, February 1. Light rain and snow began the previous evening, stopping briefly before resuming during the night. The heaviest snow ended up across the northern quarter of Illinois, with widespread amounts over a foot. Parts of northeast Illinois received as much as 15 to 22 inches, as lake-effect snow enhanced the totals from what was already falling from the original system. Chicago had its snowiest February day on record, and the total of 19.3 inches was the 5th largest snowstorm on record.
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| Mapping of snowfall for the 48-hour period ending on 7 am February 2. Observations from the Cooperative Observer and CoCoRaHS networks are included. | Mapping of snow depth the morning of February 2, based on Cooperative Observers. |
As temperatures remained above freezing for a good part of the event, this caused the snow to sometimes mix with or change to rain, especially along and south of I-72. This caused snow totals to be significantly lower in that area. Totals further north were also lowered from the original projections due to the warmer temperatures. The milder air also resulted in a significantly wet snow that was extremely difficult to move. Observations and computer models indicated that 1 to 2 inches of liquid was within the snow pack the morning of February 2, basically in areas where there was at least 5 inches of snow on the ground. The weight of the snow also caused some tree branches to break.
Specific Reports:
Here is a listing of reports we have received as of noon February 2. Official observations are highlighted. Other reports include the CoCoRaHS network, our Significant Weather Observer Program (SWOP), trained spotters, emergency managers, and the general public.
LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE SOURCE
...CASS COUNTY...
PHILADELPHIA 2.0 S 2.1 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
VIRGINIA 4.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...CHAMPAIGN COUNTY...
CHAMPAIGN 1.5 SSE 3.1 IN 0835 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
CHAMPAIGN 2.3 NNW 4.2 IN 0751 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
DEWEY 1.6 NNW 4.2 IN 0800 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
FISHER 5.1 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
HOMER 2.0 N 2.9 IN 0745 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
OGDEN 3.7 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
RANTOUL 4.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
ST. JOSEPH 0.9 SSW 1.5 IN 0810 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
SIDNEY 0.9 N 1.5 IN 0758 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
URBANA 3.8 IN 0800 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
URBANA 0.9 SSE 3.0 IN 0800 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
URBANA 4.2 ESE 2.1 IN 0744 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
...CHRISTIAN COUNTY...
EDINBURG 3.0 W 1.2 IN 0759 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
KINCAID 3.0 W 1.4 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
PANA 1.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
TAYLORVILLE 1.7 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
...CLARK COUNTY...
CASEY 0.5 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...COLES COUNTY...
CHARLESTON 1.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
...DE WITT COUNTY...
CLINTON 3.2 IN 1000 AM 02/02 PUBLIC
FARMER CITY 3.0 W 4.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...DOUGLAS COUNTY...
TUSCOLA 1.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...EFFINGHAM COUNTY...
BEECHER CITY 0.5 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
EFFINGHAM 3.0 SW 0.5 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...FULTON COUNTY...
ASTORIA 4.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
FARMINGTON 5.5 IN 0400 PM 02/01 EMERGENCY MGR
...KNOX COUNTY...
ABINGDON 1.0 N 8.0 IN 1030 PM 02/01 SWOP
ALTONA 8.8 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
GALESBURG 7.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
GILSON 7.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
KNOXVILLE 6.2 IN 1100 AM 02/02 SWOP
KNOXVILLE 5.1 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
LACON 6.3 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...LOGAN COUNTY...
LINCOLN NWS 3.2 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL NWS
LINCOLN 1.4 SE 2.1 IN 0753 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
LINCOLN 0.1 NNE 1.8 IN 0745 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
LINCOLN 4.6 W 2.5 IN 0700 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
MOUNT PULASKI 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...MACON COUNTY...
MOUNT ZION 2.0 IN 1115 PM 02/01 SWOP
...MARSHALL COUNTY...
HENRY 6.2 IN 1100 PM 02/01 EMERGENCY MGR
HOPEWELL 6.6 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
LACON 6.3 IN 0800 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...MASON COUNTY...
HAVANA 3.5 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...MCLEAN COUNTY...
ARROWSMITH 1.7 NNE 7.0 IN 0800 AM 02/02 SWOP
BLOOMINGTON 5.3 IN 0700 PM 02/01 PUBLIC
BLOOMINGTON ARPT 1.0 NW 6.0 IN 1000 AM 02/02 SWOP
BLOOMINGTON 5.0 W 7.0 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
LE ROY 4.1 SSW 5.2 IN 0809 AM 02/02 SWOP
LE ROY 5.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
LEXINGTON 0.5 SSE 2.5 IN 0808 AM 02/02 SWOP
NORMAL 1.9 ESE 4.1 IN 0800 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
NORMAL 4.0 NNE 6.5 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...MENARD COUNTY...
ATHENS 1.0 N 2.1 IN 0744 AM 02/02 SWOP
...MORGAN COUNTY...
JACKSONVILLE 2.8 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
LAKE JACKSONVILLE 2.4 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
...MOUTRIE COUNTY...
LOVINGTON 1.1 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...PEORIA COUNTY...
PEORIA 6.4 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL NWS
PEORIA 2.4 SW 6.5 IN 1045 PM 02/01 COCORAHS
PEORIA 3.4 WNW 6.1 IN 0800 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
PEORIA 5.0 NW 7.0 IN 0800 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...SANGAMON COUNTY...
CHATHAM 1.4 ESE 2.0 IN 0813 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
RIVERTON 1.9 W 1.6 IN 0758 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
SPRINGFIELD 2.2 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL NWS
...SHELBY COUNTY...
EFFINGHAM 6.7 N 0.7 IN 0745 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
MODE 3.7 NW 0.6 IN 0800 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
MOWEAQUA 2.0 S 1.4 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
WINDSOR 1.2 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
...TAZEWELL COUNTY...
EAST PEORIA 4.5 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
MACKINAW 1.0 N 5.0 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
MORTON 6.3 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
WASHINGTON 1.7 NE 4.6 IN 0751 AM 02/02 COCORAHS
...VERMILION COUNTY...
BISMARCK 3.0 W 2.0 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
DANVILLE 2.7 IN 1200 PM 02/02 EMERGENCY MGR
HOOPESTON 5.5 IN 0730 AM 02/02 EMERGENCY MGR
...WOODFORD COUNTY...
EUREKA 7.5 IN 1200 PM 02/02 SWOP
GERMANTOWN HILLS 1.0 S 6.0 IN 0900 PM 02/01 SWOP
MINONK 9.0 IN 0600 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
ROANOKE 7.7 IN 0700 AM 02/02 OFFICIAL COOP
THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION. SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT... INCHES LOCATION COUNTY TIME ------ ------------------- ----------- ------- 9.00 MINONK WOODFORD 0800 AM 8.80 ALTONA KNOX 0600 AM 8.00 1 N ABINGDON KNOX 1030 PM 7.70 ROANOKE WOODFORD 0700 AM 7.50 EUREKA WOODFORD 0236 PM 7.00 5 NW PEORIA PEORIA 0800 AM 7.00 1 NNE ARROWSMITH MCLEAN 0800 AM 7.00 GALESBURG KNOX 0700 AM 7.00 5 W BLOOMINGTON MCLEAN 0600 AM 6.60 5 W WASHBURN MARSHALL 0700 AM 6.50 4 NE NORMAL MCLEAN 0500 AM 6.50 2 SW PEORIA PEORIA 1045 PM 6.40 TOULON STARK 0630 AM 6.40 PEORIA PEORIA 0600 AM 6.30 LACON MARSHALL 0800 AM 6.30 MORTON TAZEWELL 0700 AM 6.20 HENRY MARSHALL 1100 PM 6.10 3 WNW PEORIA PEORIA 0800 AM 6.10 DAHINDA KNOX 0700 AM 6.10 7 NW PEORIA PEORIA 0609 PM 6.00 KNOXVILLE KNOX 0800 AM 6.00 3 NE BLOOMINGTON MCLEAN 0700 AM 6.00 1 S GERMANTOWN HILLS WOODFORD 0900 PM 5.50 HOOPESTON VERMILION 0730 AM 5.30 BLOOMINGTON MCLEAN 0700 PM 5.20 4 SSW LE ROY MCLEAN 0800 AM 5.10 FISHER CHAMPAIGN 0700 AM 5.00 1 N MACKINAW TAZEWELL 0700 AM 4.60 2 NE WASHINGTON TAZEWELL 0750 AM 4.20 2 NNW DEWEY CHAMPAIGN 0800 AM 4.20 2 NNW CHAMPAIGN CHAMPAIGN 0745 AM 4.10 2 ESE NORMAL MCLEAN 0800 AM 4.00 3 W FARMER CITY DE WITT 0700 AM 4.00 VIRGINIA CASS 0700 AM 4.00 S HAVANA MASON 0600 PM 3.80 URBANA CHAMPAIGN 0800 AM 3.70 OGDEN CHAMPAIGN 0600 AM 3.50 HAVANA MASON 0700 AM 3.20 CLINTON DE WITT 0700 AM 3.20 1 E LINCOLN LOGAN 0600 AM 3.10 2 SSE CHAMPAIGN CHAMPAIGN 0830 AM 3.00 1 SSE URBANA CHAMPAIGN 0800 AM 2.90 2 N HOMER CHAMPAIGN 0745 AM 2.80 JACKSONVILLE MORGAN 0700 AM 2.70 DANVILLE VERMILION 0800 AM 2.50 5 W LINCOLN LOGAN 0700 AM 2.40 1 S LAKE JACKSONVILL MORGAN 0241 PM 2.20 3 N SPRINGFIELD SANGAMON 0600 AM 2.10 1 SE LINCOLN LOGAN 0800 AM 2.10 4 ESE URBANA CHAMPAIGN 0745 AM 2.10 1 N ATHENS MENARD 0700 AM 2.00 1 ENE CHATHAM SANGAMON 0815 AM 2.00 MOUNT ZION MACON 0700 AM 2.00 MOUNT PULASKI LOGAN 0700 AM 1.80 LINCOLN LOGAN 0745 AM 1.80 SPRINGFIELD SANGAMON 0620 PM 1.80 PEKIN TAZEWELL 0515 PM 1.60 2 W RIVERTON SANGAMON 0800 AM 1.50 1 SSW ST. JOSEPH CHAMPAIGN 0800 AM 1.50 1 N SIDNEY CHAMPAIGN 0800 AM 1.40 3 W KINCAID CHRISTIAN 0700 AM 1.40 2 S MOWEAQUA SHELBY 0700 AM 1.20 3 W EDINBURG CHRISTIAN 0800 AM 1.20 WINDSOR SHELBY 0700 AM 1.10 LOVINGTON MOULTRIE 0700 AM 1.00 TUSCOLA DOUGLAS 0700 AM 1.00 PANA CHRISTIAN 0700 AM
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