January 28, 2022 Lake Effect Snow Event

A band of intense lake effect snow developed around midnight on Friday January 28, 2022 and persisted into the evening dropping several inches of snow across the Chicago metro. Snowfall rates on the order of 1 to 2 inches per hour created dangerous travel conditions during the Friday commutes due to rapid changes in visibility and snow covered roads. This page showcases the snowfall totals experienced across the metro from this event.

Summary Infographic, snowfall map, or photo

Map and Listing of Snowfall Totals

Fast Facts
Snow Totals
Snowfall Reports
Additional

Fast Facts

The official snowfall for Chicago was 3.3" observed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

The official snowfall for Rockford was a trace observed at Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Other snowfall amounts include 0.7" at the NWS Chicago in Romeoville and 7.2" observed 3 miles southwest of Chicago Midway International Airport.

Lake effect snow tends to be very localized as to where the highest snow amounts are experienced and this even was no exception with parts of the northern Chicago suburbs near lake Michigan receiving 8 to 10 inches of snow.

Snow Totals

Regional Snowfall Map

Snowfall Reports

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1003 AM CST SAT JAN 29 2022

...EVENT TOTAL SNOW REPORTS FROM LATE THU NIGHT THROUGH FRI AFTERNOON...

LOCATION                     AMOUNT    TIME/DATE       PROVIDER             

...ILLINOIS...

...COOK COUNTY...
WILMETTE                     10.0 IN   0330 PM 01/28   BROADCAST MEDIA      
1 NNE SKOKIE                 9.0 IN    0300 PM 01/28   PUBLIC               
EVANSTON 1 E                 9.0 IN    0800 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
1 S JEFFERSON PARK - CHICAGO 8.0 IN    1110 AM 01/28   PUBLIC               
1 WNW HUMBOLDT PARK - CHICAG 7.5 IN    0130 PM 01/28   PUBLIC               
OAK PARK 1 NNE               7.4 IN    0655 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
CHICAGO - WEST RIDGE         7.3 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
3.0 SW MIDWAY AIRPORT        7.2 IN    1200 PM 01/28   CO-OP OBSERVER                        
HARWOOD HEIGHTS              7.1 IN    1000 AM 01/28   PUBLIC                            
LINCOLN SQUARE - CHICAGO     6.0 IN    1100 AM 01/28   PUBLIC               
CHICAGO RIDGE                4.2 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
OAK LAWN 1 WSW               4.2 IN    0800 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
BRIDGEVIEW 1 WNW             4.0 IN    0730 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
OAK FOREST 1 NNW             3.4 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
OHARE AIRPORT                3.3 IN    1200 PM 01/28   OFFICIAL NWS OBS     
FRANKLIN PARK 0.5 SSE        3.1 IN    0800 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
COUNTRYSIDE 1 ENE            3.0 IN    0500 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
LA GRANGE PARK 1 SSW         3.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PALOS PARK 2 WSW             3.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
HOMEWOOD                     2.4 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
ELK GROVE VILLAGE 2 WSW      1.9 IN    0655 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
MOUNT PROSPECT 0.2 NNE       1.8 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
SCHAUMBURG 2 E               1.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PARK FOREST 1 WNW            1.5 IN    0730 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PARK FOREST                  1.0 IN    0500 AM 01/29   COOP                 
SCHAUMBURG 1.4 SE            1.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
HOFFMAN ESTATES              0.7 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PALATINE 1.2 NW              0.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...DUPAGE COUNTY...
ELMHURST                     2.3 IN    1030 AM 01/28   BROADCAST MEDIA      
VILLA PARK                   2.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
DARIEN 2 SE                  1.4 IN    0715 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
ELMHURST 1 SW                1.0 IN    0600 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
BOLINGBROOK 3 NE             0.8 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...GRUNDY COUNTY...
CARBON HILL 3 N              1.2 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
COAL CITY 4 NNW              1.2 IN    0700 AM 01/29   UCOOP                
MORRIS 2 W                   1.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...IROQUOIS COUNTY...
ASHKUM 6 E                   0.9 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
CRESCENT CITY 2 N            0.8 IN    0600 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
MILFORD 3.5 ENE              0.6 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...KANE COUNTY...
GENEVA 4 WSW                 0.9 IN    0600 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
AURORA 2 W                   0.6 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
GENEVA 1 SSW                 0.5 IN    0730 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...KANKAKEE COUNTY...
BOURBONNAIS                  1.6 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COOP                 
KANKAKEE 1.4 WSW             1.0 IN    0600 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
HERSCHER 3 E                 0.8 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...LA SALLE COUNTY...
OTTAWA                       1.6 IN    0655 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PERU 1 NNE                   1.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
OTTAWA - BUFFALO ROCK SP     1.0 IN    0745 AM 01/29   COOP                 
LA SALLE                     0.9 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...LAKE COUNTY...
1 NE HIGHLAND PARK           5.0 IN    0838 AM 01/28   PUBLIC               
1 NNW GLENCOE                4.8 IN    0922 AM 01/28   PUBLIC               
HIGHWOOD                     2.2 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
RIVERWOODS 1 NE              1.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
BUFFALO GROVE 2 N            0.9 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...LIVINGSTON COUNTY...
CHATSWORTH                   2.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COOP                 
DWIGHT                       1.0 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COOP                 

...WILL COUNTY...
MOKENA 2 WSW                 1.9 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
HOMER GLEN 1 NNE             1.8 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
LAKEWOOD SHORES 1 SE         1.7 IN    0630 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
NEW LENOX 1 SE               1.5 IN    0800 AM 01/29   COCORAHS                          
ROCKDALE - BRANDON LOCK AND  0.8 IN    0800 AM 01/29   HADS                 
NWS CHICAGO-ROMEOVILLE       0.7 IN    1200 PM 01/28   OFFICIAL NWS OBS                      
MONEE 5 SE                   0.6 IN    0800 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
LOCKPORT 2 SE                0.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...INDIANA...

...LAKE COUNTY...
DYER                         1.6 IN    0525 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
GARY 5 ENE                   1.4 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
CROWN POINT 2 NNE            0.7 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
ST. JOHN 3 SSE               0.5 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             

...PORTER COUNTY...
VALPARAISO 1 N               0.9 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
PORTER                       0.8 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
VALPARAISO 4 SW              0.7 IN    0600 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
CHESTERTON 2 E               0.6 IN    0700 AM 01/29   COCORAHS             
1 N PORTAGE                  0.5 IN    0830 AM 01/28   PUBLIC               

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS 
FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

Additional

Photos

Northwestern University Photo courtesy of Andrew Roman

Lakeshore Drive in Chicago from Field Museum

Northwest side of Chicago Photo courtesy of Bob Dolgan

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