Thursday's Light Snow Event and Unique Snow Band

Thursday, November 15 saw early morning snow from a major weather system to our south spread northwest over northwest Indiana and northern Illinois. The solid snow shield brought 2" to 4" of accumulation in parts of east central Illinois into northwest Indiana by mid-morning. Then a single band of snow continued to move northwest across the Chicago metro area, pivoting, and then weakened as it moved back southeast (though did briefly re-intensify). This band produced mainly 1-2", although there was isolated 2" in Lake County, IL.

Radar Loop from Nov 15,12 a.m. - 6 p.m. Note the colors represent estimated precipitation type. Almost all of this was observed to have been snow.

Fast Facts
Snow/Ice Totals
Storm Reports
Meteorology & Additional

Fast Facts

The official snowfall for Chicago was 1.1" observed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Other snowfall amounts include 3.5" in Chesterton, in Porter County, IN, 3.0" in Cullom in Livingston County, IL, and 2.7" from an observer in Lindenhurst, in Lake County, IL.

Snow/Ice Totals

Observed snowfall map from 11/15/18. Also visit the Storm Reports map.

Text Listing of Snowfall Reports from Volunteer Observers

Storm Reports

Map of Snowfall Local Storm Reports

    
                        

211

NWUS53 KLOT 150154

LSRLOT



Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary

National Weather Service Chicago IL

754 PM CST Wed Jan 14 2026



..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...

..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....

            ..REMARKS..



0723 AM     Snow Squall      Midway Airport          41.78N 87.76W

01/14/2026                   Cook               IL   ASOS



            Visibility down to quarter mile and maximum

            wind gust to 47 mph.



0743 AM     Snow Squall      1 NW Norwood Park - Chi 42.00N 87.81W

01/14/2026                   Cook               IL   Public



            Public report of near zero visibility in

            Norwood Park community area of Chicago

            during snow squall.



0748 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 NW Norwood Park - Chi 42.00N 87.82W

01/14/2026                   Cook               IL   Local Official



            Metra UPNW line stopped due to tree or tree

            branch downed onto tracks. Exact location

            unknown, southeast of Park Ridge. Relayed

            via Metra social media.



0750 AM     Snow Squall      Gary Airport            41.62N 87.42W

01/14/2026                   Lake               IN   AWOS



            Visibility down to quarter mile with maximum

            wind gust to 51 mph.



0815 AM     Snow Squall      1 NE Romeoville         41.66N 88.07W

01/14/2026                   Will               IL   NWS Employee



            Visibility just a couple blocks at times,

            multiple traffic collisions in the area.



0816 AM     Snow Squall      Ohare Airport           41.98N 87.90W

01/14/2026                   Cook               IL   Official NWS Obs



            Visibility down to quarter mile and maximum

            gusts to 43 mph.



0820 AM     Snow Squall      Oak Forest              41.60N 87.74W

01/14/2026                   Cook               IL   Emergency Mngr



            EM reported zero visibility and a flash

            freeze.



0822 AM     Snow Squall      NWS Chicago-Romeoville  41.60N 88.08W

01/14/2026                   Will               IL   Official NWS Obs



            Visibility down to quarter mile with maximum

            wind gusts to 43 mph.



0848 AM     Snow Squall      Bourbonnais             41.16N 87.89W

01/14/2026                   Kankakee           IL   Dept of Highways



            IDOT traffic camera near Latham Drive and

            Main Street shows visibility of just a few

            blocks in snow squall.



0850 AM     Snow Squall      Valparaiso              41.47N 87.06W

01/14/2026                   Porter             IN   Public



            Public reported via social media of heavy

            snow, wind gusts estimated to 50 mph and

            visibility down to a tenth of a mile.



0850 AM     Snow Squall      4 NW Wilmington         41.35N 88.19W

01/14/2026                   Will               IL   Dept of Highways



            IDOT traffic camera on I-55 near Kankakee

            River shows visibility approximately 0.1

            miles in snow squall.



0903 AM     Snow Squall      1 ESE Sun River Terrace 41.12N 87.73W

01/14/2026                   Kankakee           IL   Public



            IDOT traffic camera indicates visibility of

            approximately 0.2 miles in snow squall.



0904 AM     Snow Squall      2 N Manteno             41.28N 87.84W

01/14/2026                   Kankakee           IL   Dept of Highways



            IDOT traffic camera shows visibility of

            approximately 0.25 miles or less on I-57 at

            MM324.



0906 AM     Snow Squall      Crown Point             41.42N 87.37W

01/14/2026                   Lake               IN   Public



            Social media video of strong wind gusts,

            snow falling and visibility down that could

            not see light pole approx 400 feet away.



0912 AM     Snow Squall      Kankakee                41.12N 87.87W

01/14/2026                   Kankakee           IL   Local Official



            City of Kankakee webcam near downtown train

            station shows visibility of approximately

            0.15 miles in snow squall.



0925 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 SSE Bonfield          41.12N 88.04W

01/14/2026                   Kankakee           IL   Dept of Highways



            IL-17 blcoked near 8000W Road due to downed

            power line. Relayed via TravelMidwest/IDOT.



0946 AM     Snow Squall      3 E Roselawn            41.14N 87.27W

01/14/2026                   Jasper             IN   Dept of Highways



            IN-DOT traffic camera on I-65 at IN-10 shows

            visibility approximately 0.25 miles.





&&



$$

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