Illinois, 2000

Heavy Snow in Illinois, February 18, 2000

February 18, 2000 · NWS LOT · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

From early morning on February 18th until evening, 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across portions of northern Illinois. Co-op and airport reports indicate that the heaviest snow (12 inches) fell from around Dixon and Rochelle, northeast through the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.

From early morning on February 18th until evening, 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across portions of northern Illinois. Co-op and airport reports indicate that the heaviest snow (12 inches) fell from around Dixon and Rochelle, northeast through the northern suburbs of Chicago. Slightly north of this band, around the Rockford area, totals were in the 8 to 10 inch range. To the south, amounts tapered from 11 inches at O'Hare to 7 inches near Midway and 3 to 4 inches across southern Will county. Winds gusted above 30 mph caused some blowing and drifting of the snow. Some official snowfall reports include: 11.1 inches at O'Hare International Airport, 6.7 inches at Midway Airport, 9.6 inches at Rockford, 12.2 inches in Lake Villa, 12.0 inches in Compton, 10.0 inches in Barrington, 7.0 inches in Aurora, and 5.0 inches at the Weather Service Office in Romeoville. Numerous accidents due to slick road conditions and poor visibility were reported throughout northern Illinois. Air travel was hampered as well, with an estimated 600 flights cancelled at O'Hare International Airport.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boone

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.323, -88.823 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cook

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Cook forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, De Kalb

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
De Kalb forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.894, -88.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Du Page

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Du Page forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.852, -88.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kane

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Kane forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.939, -88.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kendall

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Kendall forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.591, -88.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, La Salle

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
La Salle forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.344, -88.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lake

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.349, -87.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lee

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Lee forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.746, -89.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McHenry

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
McHenry forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.324, -88.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ogle

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Ogle forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.043, -89.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Will

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Will forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Winnebago

When
February 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.336, -89.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5136644, 5136645, 5136646, 5136647, 5136648, 5136649, 5136650, 5136651, 5136652, 5136653, 5136654, 5136655, 5136656.