January 12, 2019: Widespread Snowfall Event Returns Area to Winter Weather

A slow-moving weather system produced widespread snow across the region late Friday night, January 11, and during the entire day and evening of Saturday, January 12. Snowfall rates in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana were light to moderate across most of the area, with some brief heavy snow observed south of I-80. Preliminary totals ranged from 2-4" for most locations north of I-80, to 5-9" south of I-80. This system was responsible for significant amounts of snow across Missouri and into central Illinois.

Fast Facts
Snow Totals
Storm Reports
Meteorology & Additional

Fast Facts

The highest snowfall totals in excess of six inches over a 12+ hour span were observed south of I-80, in particular from southern LaSalle County through Livingston, Ford, and Iroqouis Counties in Illinois, and into Newton and Benton Counties in northwest Indiana.

The official snowfall for Chicago was 2.5" as of 6 am Sunday morning observed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

The official snowfall for Rockford was 4.0" as of 6 am Sunday morning observed at Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Other snowfall amounts through 6 am Sunday morning include 2.1" at the NWS Chicago in Romeoville and 3.7" observed 3 miles southwest of Chicago Midway International Airport.

Snow Totals

Snowfall Map

For national snowfall totals, see the NWS WPC Storm Summary Message.

24-hour Snowfall Amounts for Sunday(01/13/19)...


Northern Illinois                              Snow
  Location (County):                           fall(inches)

  Ashkum 5.6E (Iroquois)........................9.3
  Streator 1WSW (La Salle)......................8.1
  Dwight (Livingston)...........................8.0
  Streator (Livingston).........................8.0
  Pontiac 1ESE (Livingston).....................7.8
  Watseka 6.9WNW (Iroquois).....................6.2
  St Anne (Kankakee)............................6.2
  La Salle (La Salle)...........................5.3
  Naperville 2ESE (Du Page).....................4.8
  Park Forest 1NNE (Cook).......................4.7
  Geneva 1SSW (Kane)............................4.5
  Riverwoods (Lake).............................4.5
  Mundelein (Lake)..............................4.4
  Burr Ridge 2SW (Du Page)......................4.3
  Highwood 1S (Lake)............................4.3
  Ottawa 2N (La Salle)..........................4.3
  Downers Grove 0.4NNE (Du Page)................4.1
  Elburn (Kane).................................4.0
  Aurora 4SE (Du Page)..........................4.0
  Batavia 1WSW (Kane)...........................4.0
  Elburn (Kane).................................4.0
  St. Charles (Kane)............................4.0
  Rockford 3NE (Winnebago)......................4.0
  Marseilles Lock & Dam (La Salle)..............4.0
  Park Forest (Cook)............................4.0
  Rockford (Winnebago)..........................4.0
  Genoa (De Kalb)...............................3.9
  Worth (Cook)..................................3.9
  Batavia 2WNW (Kane)...........................3.9
  Peotone (Will)................................3.9
  Lake Zurich (Lake)............................3.9
  Peotone (Will)................................3.9
  Park Forest 1SW (Cook)........................3.8
  De Kalb 1SW (De Kalb).........................3.8
  Wheaton 2NNE (Du Page)........................3.8
  Naperville 1NW (Du Page)......................3.8
  Geneva 4WSW (Kane)............................3.8
  North Aurora 2NE (Kane).......................3.8
  Ottawa 1NW (La Salle).........................3.8
  Bourbonnais (Kankakee)........................3.7
  Batavia 1WNW (Kane)...........................3.7
  Bull Valley 2WNW (McHenry)....................3.7
  Midway Coop (Cook)............................3.7
  Roscoe 2ESE (Winnebago).......................3.6
  Roscoe 2se (Winnebago)........................3.6
  Botanic Gardens (Cook)........................3.5
  Chicago 6ESE (Cook)...........................3.5
  Mundelein 2WNW (Lake).........................3.5
  Peru 1ENE (La Salle)..........................3.5
  Lockport 1SE (Will)...........................3.5
  Mundelein (Lake)..............................3.5
  Ottawa (La Salle).............................3.5
  Batavia (Kane)................................3.4
  De Kalb (De Kalb).............................3.4
  Coal City 4NNW (Grundy).......................3.2
  Palatine 1NNE (Cook)..........................3.2
  Carbon Hill 3.1N (Grundy).....................3.2
  Crete 3E (Will)...............................3.2
  New Lenox 2SE (Will)..........................3.2
  Chicago Ridge (Cook)..........................3.1
  New Lenox 3E (Will)...........................3.1
  Aurora (Kane).................................3.0
  Chatsworth (Livingston).......................3.0
  Oak Park 2S (Cook)............................3.0
  Homewood (Cook)...............................3.0
  La Grange Park 1SSW (Cook)....................3.0
  Somonauk 2NE (De Kalb)........................3.0
  Glen Ellyn 2SSE (Du Page).....................3.0
  Elmhurst (Du Page)............................3.0
  Morris (Grundy)...............................3.0
  Paw Paw (Lee).................................3.0
  Woodstock 5nw (McHenry).......................3.0
  Park Ridge (Cook).............................2.9
  Elmhurst 2SE (Du Page)........................2.9
  Hoffman Estates 5W (Cook).....................2.8
  Plainfield 5SW (Kendall)......................2.8
  Crystal Lake 1WSW (McHenry)...................2.8
  Wilmington 3SE (Will).........................2.8
  Hoffman Estates 2SE (Cook)....................2.7
  Countryside 1ENE (Cook).......................2.7
  Plainfield 2SSE (Will)........................2.7
  Joliet 2n (Will)..............................2.7
  Palatine 1E (Cook)............................2.6
  Manhattan (Will)..............................2.6
  Schaumburg 2E (Cook)..........................2.5
  Harwood Heights (Cook)........................2.5
  Palos Park 1SW (Cook).........................2.5
  Lincolnwood 2E (Cook).........................2.5
  Cortland (De Kalb)............................2.5
  Elgin 2W (Kane)...............................2.5
  Lansing (Cook)................................2.5
  Ohare Airport (Cook)..........................2.5
  Elk Grove Village 1ESE (Cook).................2.4
  Plainfield (Will).............................2.4
  Elgin (Kane)..................................2.3
  Brandon Road Lock & Dam (Will)................2.2
  Oak Park 1NNE (Cook)..........................2.1
  Elk Grove Village 2WSW (Cook).................2.1
  Romeoville (Will).............................2.1
  Arlington Heights 3SSW (Cook).................2.0
  St. Charles 6NW (Kane)........................2.0
  Waukegan 2N (Lake)............................1.8
  Lake Villa 2WSW (Lake)........................1.8
  Park Ridge 1WNW (Cook)........................1.4
  Capron (Boone)................................1.3

Northwest Indiana                              Snow
  Location (County):                           fall(inches)

  Rensselaer 2SSW (Jasper)......................7.0
  Remington (Jasper)............................7.0
  De Motte 1SSW (Jasper)........................6.0
  De Motte 4SW (Jasper).........................6.0
  Rensselaer (Jasper)...........................6.0
  De Motte 1NNW (Jasper)........................5.0
  Morocco (Newton)..............................5.0
  Crown Point 2WSW (Lake).......................4.0
  (w9mal)Merrillville 2NNW (Lake)...............3.8
  Porter 1S (Porter)............................3.6
  Gary 5ENE (Lake)..............................3.5
  Hammond 1SSW (Lake)...........................3.5
  Hebron 4NE (Porter)...........................3.5
  Lakes Of The Four Seasons 2NNE (Porter).......3.5
  Valparaiso 1NNW (Porter)......................3.4
  Valparaiso 4SW (Porter).......................3.3
  Valparaiso 6SSW (Porter)......................3.2
  Dyer 1WNW (Lake)..............................3.1
  Crown Point (Lake)............................2.8

$$

Storm Reports

Map of Snowfall Local Storm Reports

543
NWUS53 KLOT 131653
LSRLOT

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1053 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0800 PM     SNOW             1 ESE PONTIAC           40.88N 88.61W
01/12/2019  M9.3 INCH        LIVINGSTON         IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 1 ESE
            PONTIAC.

0700 AM     SNOW             5.6 E ASHKUM            40.88N 87.85W
01/13/2019  M9.3 INCH        IROQUOIS           IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 5.6 E
            ASHKUM. STORM TOTAL.

0920 PM     SNOW             WATSEKA                 40.78N 87.73W
01/12/2019  M9.0 INCH        IROQUOIS           IL   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM WATSEKA.
            RELAYED THROUGH BROADCAST MEDIA.

0642 AM     SNOW             STREATOR                41.12N 88.84W
01/13/2019  M9.0 INCH        LA SALLE           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM STREATOR.
            STORM TOTAL.

0400 PM     SNOW             1 ESE PONTIAC           40.88N 88.61W
01/12/2019  M8.5 INCH        LIVINGSTON         IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0852 AM     SNOW             1 WSW STREATOR          41.12N 88.85W
01/13/2019  M8.1 INCH        LA SALLE           IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 1 WSW
            STREATOR. STORM TOTAL.

0100 PM     SNOW             ONARGA                  40.72N 88.01W
01/12/2019  M8.0 INCH        IROQUOIS           IL   PUBLIC



0829 AM     SNOW             DWIGHT                  41.09N 88.43W
01/13/2019  M8.0 INCH        LIVINGSTON         IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM DWIGHT.
            STORM TOTAL.

0730 PM     SNOW             GOODLAND                40.76N 87.29W
01/12/2019  M7.8 INCH        NEWTON             IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM GOODLAND.

0728 PM     SNOW             PAXTON                  40.46N 88.10W
01/12/2019  M7.0 INCH        FORD               IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM PAXTON.

0800 AM     SNOW             REMINGTON               40.76N 87.15W
01/13/2019  M7.0 INCH        JASPER             IN   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM
            REMINGTON. STORM TOTAL.

0730 AM     SNOW             LAKE VILLAGE            41.14N 87.45W
01/13/2019  M6.5 INCH        NEWTON             IN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM LAKE
            VILLAGE.

1200 PM     SNOW             0.7 ESE PONTIAC         40.88N 88.62W
01/12/2019  M6.4 INCH        LIVINGSTON         IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 0.7 ESE
            PONTIAC. STORM TOTAL SO FAR.

0600 AM     SNOW             6.9 WNW WATSEKA         40.81N 87.85W
01/13/2019  M6.2 INCH        IROQUOIS           IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 6.9 WNW
            WATSEKA. STORM TOTAL.

0700 AM     SNOW             ST. ANNE                41.02N 87.72W
01/13/2019  M6.2 INCH        KANKAKEE           IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM ST. ANNE.
            STORM TOTAL.

0700 AM     SNOW             4 SW DEMOTTE            41.15N 87.25W
01/13/2019  M6.0 INCH        JASPER             IN   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 4 SW
            DEMOTTE. STORM TOTAL.

1030 PM     SNOW             MOROCCO                 40.95N 87.45W
01/12/2019  M5.7 INCH        NEWTON             IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM MOROCCO.

0330 PM     SNOW             LA SALLE                41.33N 89.09W
01/12/2019  M5.4 INCH        LA SALLE           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1110 AM     SNOW             CHATSWORTH              40.75N 88.29W
01/12/2019  M5.0 INCH        LIVINGSTON         IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM
            CHATSWORTH.

0416 PM     SNOW             BOURBONNAIS             41.16N 87.88W
01/12/2019  M5.0 INCH        KANKAKEE           IL   PUBLIC



0930 PM     SNOW             DEMOTTE                 41.20N 87.20W
01/12/2019  M5.0 INCH        JASPER             IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM DEMOTTE.

0540 PM     SNOW             VALPARAISO              41.47N 87.06W
01/12/2019  M4.0 INCH        PORTER             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER



0730 PM     SNOW             ST. JOHN                41.45N 87.47W
01/12/2019  E4.0 INCH        LAKE               IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM ST. JOHN.

0554 AM     SNOW             ROCKFORD AIRPORT        42.20N 89.10W
01/13/2019  M4.0 INCH        WINNEBAGO          IL   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM ROCKFORD
            AIRPORT. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.

0915 PM     SNOW             1 W CHERRY VALLEY       42.24N 88.98W
01/12/2019  M3.9 INCH        WINNEBAGO          IL   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 1 W
            CHERRY VALLEY.

0418 PM     SNOW             3 E KANKAKEE            41.12N 87.80W
01/12/2019  M3.8 INCH        KANKAKEE           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0840 PM     SNOW             3 E HERSCHER            41.05N 88.04W
01/12/2019  M3.7 INCH        KANKAKEE           IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 3 E
            HERSCHER.

0540 AM     SNOW             3 SW MIDWAY AIRPORT     41.74N 87.78W
01/13/2019  M3.7 INCH        COOK               IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 3 SW
            MIDWAY AIRPORT. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.

0600 PM     SNOW             CRYSTAL LAKE            42.24N 88.32W
01/12/2019  M3.5 INCH        MCHENRY            IL   PUBLIC



0700 PM     SNOW             LOMBARD                 41.88N 88.01W
01/12/2019  M3.5 INCH        DUPAGE             IL   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM LOMBARD.

0730 PM     SNOW             HOBART                  41.53N 87.26W
01/12/2019  M3.5 INCH        LAKE               IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM HOBART.

0730 PM     SNOW             BEVERLY SHORES          41.69N 86.98W
01/12/2019  M3.5 INCH        PORTER             IN   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM BEVERLY
            SHORES.

0730 PM     SNOW             BRIDGEPORT              41.84N 87.65W
01/12/2019  M3.5 INCH        COOK               IL   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM
            BRIDGEPORT.

0715 AM     SNOW             0.7 NNW MARENGO         42.26N 88.61W
01/13/2019  M3.5 INCH        MCHENRY            IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 0.7 NNW
            MARENGO. STORM TOTAL.

0830 PM     SNOW             JOLIET                  41.53N 88.08W
01/12/2019  M3.3 INCH        WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM JOLIET.

0600 PM     SNOW             ST. CHARLES             41.91N 88.31W
01/12/2019  M3.2 INCH        KANE               IL   COCORAHS



0320 PM     SNOW             PEOTONE                 41.33N 87.79W
01/12/2019  M3.1 INCH        WILL               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0400 PM     SNOW             BATAVIA                 41.85N 88.31W
01/12/2019  M3.1 INCH        KANE               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0730 PM     SNOW             MEDINAH                 41.98N 88.06W
01/12/2019  M3.0 INCH        DUPAGE             IL   PUBLIC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM MEDINAH.

1150 AM     SNOW             BOURBONNAIS             41.16N 87.88W
01/12/2019  M2.8 INCH        KANKAKEE           IL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM
            BOURBONNAIS.

0415 PM     SNOW             NORTHBROOK              42.13N 87.83W
01/12/2019  M2.6 INCH        COOK               IL   PUBLIC



0300 PM     SNOW             3 WNW AURORA            41.77N 88.37W
01/12/2019  M2.6 INCH        KANE               IL   NWS EMPLOYEE



0555 AM     SNOW             OHARE AIRPORT           41.98N 87.90W
01/13/2019  M2.5 INCH        COOK               IL   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM OHARE
            AIRPORT. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.

0100 PM     SNOW             3.1 N CARBON HILL       41.34N 88.30W
01/12/2019  M2.3 INCH        GRUNDY             IL   COCORAHS



0630 PM     SNOW             1 S LANSING             41.55N 87.54W
01/12/2019  E2.3 INCH        COOK               IL   CO-OP OBSERVER



0515 PM     SNOW             2 E SCHAUMBURG          42.03N 88.04W
01/12/2019  M2.1 INCH        COOK               IL   PUBLIC



0555 AM     SNOW             NWS CHICAGO-ROMEOVILLE  41.60N 88.08W
01/13/2019  M2.1 INCH        WILL               IL   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM NWS
            CHICAGO-ROMEOVILLE. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.

0404 PM     SNOW             3 SW SYCAMORE           41.97N 88.73W
01/12/2019  M2.0 INCH        DE KALB            IL   PUBLIC



0830 PM     SNOW             ELK GROVE VILLAGE       42.01N 87.99W
01/12/2019  M2.0 INCH        COOK               IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM ELK GROVE
            VILLAGE.

0333 PM     SNOW             1 NNW MARENGO           42.27N 88.62W
01/12/2019  M1.9 INCH        MCHENRY            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0100 PM     SNOW             3.3 E NEW LENOX         41.51N 87.90W
01/12/2019  M1.8 INCH        WILL               IL   COCORAHS



0220 PM     SNOW             AMBOY                   41.71N 89.33W
01/12/2019  M1.8 INCH        LEE                IL   COCORAHS

            STORM TOTAL SO FAR.

0230 PM     SNOW             0.4 ENE RIVERWOODS      42.17N 87.89W
01/12/2019  M1.8 INCH        LAKE               IL   COCORAHS



0430 PM     SNOW             LIBERTYVILLE            42.28N 87.95W
01/12/2019  M1.8 INCH        LAKE               IL   PUBLIC



0100 PM     SNOW             BATAVIA                 41.85N 88.31W
01/12/2019  M1.6 INCH        KANE               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



0430 PM     SNOW             2 WSW ELK GROVE VILLAGE 41.99N 88.03W
01/12/2019  M1.6 INCH        COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER



1230 PM     SNOW             0.4 ENE PEOTONE         41.33N 87.78W
01/12/2019  M1.5 INCH        WILL               IL   COCORAHS

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 0.4 ENE
            PEOTONE. LIQUID 0.16 INCHES.

0145 PM     SNOW             LANSING                 41.57N 87.54W
01/12/2019  M1.5 INCH        COOK               IL   CO-OP OBSERVER



0200 PM     SNOW             1.3 SW PALOS PARK       41.65N 87.85W
01/12/2019  M1.5 INCH        COOK               IL   COCORAHS



0220 PM     SNOW             2.2 WSW ELK GROVE VILLA 41.99N 88.03W
01/12/2019  M1.1 INCH        COOK               IL   COCORAHS



1106 AM     SNOW             BATAVIA                 41.85N 88.31W
01/12/2019  M1.0 INCH        KANE               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM BATAVIA.
            CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM BATAVIA.

0200 PM     SNOW             4.5 WSW ROCKFORD        42.25N 89.18W
01/12/2019  M1.0 INCH        WINNEBAGO          IL   COCORAHS



0430 PM     SNOW             CAPRON                  42.40N 88.74W
01/12/2019  M0.9 INCH        BOONE              IL   TRAINED SPOTTER




&&

$$

Meteorology


Satellite water vapor imagery from the morning of January 12 revealed the size of this system, with a large circulations from the Southern Plains through the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Embedded within this were several other strong circulations, all capable of steering deep moisture further northward and focusing forcing for moderate snowfall in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.			Moisture was a key aspect of this system. This is a map of precipitable waters, or moisture through the depth of the lower atmosphere. These values were at to a little above one half inch in the NWS Chicago CWA (WFO Lincoln weather balloon launch measured 0.6" at 6 am and 6 pm). These values were over 130% of normal, which for a 12+ hour snow event is noteworthy.

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