Winter Weather — Lee, Illinois

2024-01-13 to 2024-01-14 · Lee, Illinois

Wider weather episode

A strong double-barreled low pressure system brought two waves of accumulating snow to the region beginning during the early morning hours of January 12th through late morning then again later that evening through the early morning of January 13th. The first wave of snow was very heavy and wet and combined with winds gusting as high as 55 mph which brought down tree limbs and power lines. Nearly 100,000 customers lost power at the height of the snow and high winds on the morning of the 12th. A wind gust to 58 mph was measured in Montrose Harbor in Chicago and a wind gust to 55 mph was measured at O'Hare Airport. Power lines were blown down across railroad tracks, halting rail traffic near Route 22 and Route 59 in Barrington. The snow changed to mainly rain for areas southeast of Interstate 55 during the afternoon of the 12th and then another period of snow moved across the area during the evening of the 12th.

A 44 year old man was found unresponsive in a driveway on Brookside Glen Drive in Tinley Park while shoveling snow on January 12th and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Much colder air spread into the area on the 13th along with additional light snowfall, especially during the evening of the 13th causing significant blowing snow and low visibilities across much of northern Illinois and near blizzard conditions in open areas. Winds gusted as high as 40 mph.

Total snowfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches fell across most of north central and northwest Illinois with an area of 12 to 14 inches in far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin state line. Some of the highest storm total snowfall amounts reported included 13.6 inches near Bull Valley; 13.5 inches four miles northeast of Harvard; 13.3 inches in LaSalle; 13.1 inches near Timberlane; 12.0 inches in Long Lake; 11.6 inches near Hampshire; 11.1 inches in Capron; 10.5 inches three miles west of Elgin; 10.0 inches in Lake Villa; 9.7 inches near Palatine; 9.3 inches in DeKalb; 9.1 inches four miles northwest of Rockford; 9.0 inches near Amboy; 8.8 inches four miles southeast of West Chicago; 8.0 inches five miles southeast of Monee; 8.0 inches in Hoffman Estates; 7.7 inches in Peotone; 7.5 inches in Bourbonnais; 7.5 inches four miles southwest of Plainfield; 6.3 inches near Rockdale and 6.1 inches four miles northwest of Coal City. Chicago O'Hare Airport measured 6.7 inches and Rockford Airport measured 7.3 inches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1150457. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.