Ice Storm in Northern Cook County, Illinois

Freezing rain developed across portions of northern Illinois during the morning of February 22nd and continued into the early morning of February 23rd with the bulk of the freezing rain falling from mid afternoon through mid evening. Thousands of tree limbs and hundreds of power lines came down due to the weight of the ice and northeast winds gusting to 35 mph. Several trees also came down, including one in Arlington Heights that destroyed a detached garage. At least 210,000 customers lost power and power wasn't fully restored for some customers for several days. The hardest hit areas were in Lake, MeHenry and northern Cook Counties. Several roads were closed due to downed power lines and tree limbs. In some areas, plows were used to clear roads of downed tree limbs. Ice accumulation amounts ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 inches with locally higher amounts. Measured ice accumulations included 0.39 inches at DuPage Airport; 0.37 inches at Rockford Airport and 0.17 inches at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling.

A period of light freezing rain developed across the southeast suburbs of Chicago early in the morning of February 22nd with temperatures near freezing. Temperatures warmed above freezing by mid morning.

Heavy rain fell across east central Illinois in the afternoon and early evening of February 22nd with the heaviest rain across southern Ford and south central Iroquois Counties where localized flooding occurred. Storm total rainfall amounts included, in Iroquois County, 3.71 inches two miles north northwest of Cissna Park; 3.56 inches one mile south of Cissna Park; 3.51 inches two miles west northwest of Loda; 3.40 inches four miles east northeast of Milford and 3.35 inches four miles east northeast of Buckley. In Ford County, 3.86 inches in Gibson City; 3.29 inches three miles west northwest of Gibson City; 3.20 inches in Paxton and 2.93 inches four miles west southwest of Melvin.