A mixed precipitation event developed over northern Illinois on February 25th. Only far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border remained mainly snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.
A mixed precipitation event developed over northern Illinois on February 25th. Only far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border remained mainly snow. Wind gusts were frequently above 35 mph over much of the area, causing blizzard conditions across far northern Illinois where the snow fell. Numerous accidents were reported as well as downed power lines from ice accumulations and high winds.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 25, 11:55 AM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1155 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007 .MORNING UPDATE... 824 AM CST... QUICK UPDATE THIS MORNING TO DROP THE WINTER STORM WARNING AS TEMPS HAVE WARMED INTO THE MID/UPPER 30S ALONG WITH LIGHT/MODERATE RAIN ACROSS THE AREA. LEFT THIS AFTERNOON ALONE AS HAVEN/T HAD MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT THE REST OF THE DAY BUT SUSPECT PRECIP TYPE TO BE MAINLY RAIN THRU THE AFTERNOON THOUGH SOME LIGHT SNOW BY EVENING IS POSSIBLE. THUS MAY NEED TO PULL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOR THIS AFTERNOON WITH LATE MORNING UPDATE. CMS && .DISCUSSION... 525 AM CST... THE LOW WAS OVER CENTRAL IOWA AT 09 UTC. ANALYSIS OF THE TEMPERATURE AND WIND ON THE SURFACE SHOWS SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION INTO FORECAST AREA OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE RADAR AND SATELLITE IR PICTURES SHOW THE DRY SLOT OVER ILLINOIS AND INDIANA. THERE IS AN AREA OF SHOWERS MOVING INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS AT 10 UTC. THE LATEST ACARS SOUNDING SHOW THE WARMEST LAYER OVER ROCKFORD IS FROM 918 TO 841 MB AND IS JUST BELOW FREEZING. THE WARMEST LAYER OVER ORD WAS 886 TO 856 MB AND JUST ABOVE FREEZING. THE FORECAST FROM THE GFS MODEL SHOWS THE 500 MB CLOSED CIRCULATION OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY 00 UTC MONDAY. THERE IS ENOUGH POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION TO CREATE ENOUGH LIFT FOR SHOWERS TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO FILL AND MOVE INTO MICHIGAN. COLDER AIR WILL RETURN TO THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. WE WILL FORECAST A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW TONIGHT FOR THE FORECAST AREA. WE WILL CANCEL THE ICE WARNING. THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE HAVE RISEN TO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 30S. A LOT IS EXPECTED TO MELT TODAY. THERE WILL STILL BE SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE...SLEET AND RAIN IN THE NORTHERN THIRD OF OUR CWA. ISENTROPIC LIFT WITH POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION WILL PROVIDE THE UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION FOR THE PRECIPITATION. DID NOT MAKE MANY CHANGE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THE CLOSED UPPER AIR CIRCULATION REMAINS OVER WISCONSIN UNTIL TUESDAY. THEN ON WEDNESDAY A 500 MB RIDGE MOVES INTO ILLINOIS. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE MAY REACH THE MID 40S. THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL EXIST DUE TO THE WARM AIR RETURNING AND OVERRUNNING AND THEN ANOTHER LARGE TROUGH APPROACHES ILLINOIS AND INDIANA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OR PRECIPITATION BOTH DAYS. && .AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 18Z TAFS... 1155 AM CST 993 SFC LOW LOCATED JUST NORTH OF THE QUAD CITIES AT 17Z WILL WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING ESE ACROSS NRN IL INTO NRN IN. THE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SLOWLY ENE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND WEAKEN IN RESPONSE TO FILLING UPPER LEVEL LOW. POSITION OF MID LEVEL LOW VERY APPARENT IN WSR-88D DATA OVER NRN IL SLOWLY LIFTING NORTH WITH ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL VORTICITY LOBE. NEXT IMPULSE ROTATING AROUND THE PARENT LOW OVER IA RESPONSIBLE FOR NEXT WAVE OF PRECIP/RADAR ECHO RETURNS CURRENTLY SHOWING UP OVER CNTRL IL HEADED NE. EXPECT PRECIPITATION TYPE TO CHANGE BACK FROM RAIN TO A MIX OF RAIN/SNOW AND THEN SNOW AS COLD AIR ADVECTS SE WITH THE LOW. 850 MB (1500 KFT) TEMPS COOL TO -7 TO -8 DEG C BY 00Z ACROSS THE AREA WITH ENTIRE TEMP PROFILE COOLING TO BELOW 0 DEC C PER FORECAST SOUNDINGS. MAY SEE A BRIEF PERIOD OF SLEET MIXED IN AS COOLING TAKES OVER BUT THIS SHOULD BE BRIEF. VISIBILITIES TO REMAIN LOW MVFR OR HIGH IFR NEXT HOUR OR TWO AS LOW AND ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT APPROACHES AND FLOW REMAINS E-SE. AS SFC AND BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW TURNS MORE S AND THEN SW EXPECT VISIBILITIES TO IMPROVE SLIGHTLY BEFORE SNOW COMMENCES. THIS PERIOD WILL BE BRIEF... AND NON-EXISTENT IN LOCATIONS WHERE THE WINDS VEER WHEN OR AFTER THE SNOW SPREADS IN. INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY... WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM 1-2 INCHES. IFR CIGS WILL PERSIST THROUGH 15Z MONDAY. ED F && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .IL...NONE. .IN...NONE. .LM...GALE WRNG IN EFFECT NORTH HALF OF LM THROUGH 03Z. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR IL AND IN NEARSHORE WATERS UNTIL 04Z. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1120 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>022-023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011- 019-261030- WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DU PAGE-COOK- LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD- LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON- 1120 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...THEN TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY MONDAY MORNING. THERE IS A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE KANKAKEE RIVER NEAR WILMINGTON TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER UPPER AIR LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS IOWA...NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE KANKAKEE RIVER NEAR WILMINGTON ILLINOIS. THERE IS POSSIBLE FLOODING AT MOMENCE THIS COMING FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER REPORTS OF SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE APPRECIATED TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. SPOTTER REPORTS OF FLOODING AND ICE JAMS WILL ALSO BE APPRECIATED. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE) LMZ740>745-766-261030- WINTHROP HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN- LAKE MICHIGAN- 1120 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS THROUGH THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1031 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 AM SNOW CAROL STREAM 41.92N 88.13W
02/25/2007 E1.0 INCH DUPAGE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CMOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1105 AM CST SUN FEB 25 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 AM ICE STORM CEDAR LAKE 41.37N 87.44W
02/25/2007 LAKE IN PUBLIC
ESTIMATED 1.5 INCHES OF ICE LAST NIGHT.
&&
CMOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
111 PM CST SUN FEB 25 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0109 PM SNOW BRAIDWOOD 41.27N 88.22W
02/25/2007 M0.3 INCH WILL IL TRAINED SPOTTER
0.30 OF NEW SNOWFALL OVER THE PAST HALF HOUR. MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOW FALLING MAKING ROADS SLUSHY AND SLIPPERY.
&&
CMOTTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 winter storm, 5 blizzard, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between a half inch and two inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between a half inch and two inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between a half inch and two inches.
Ice accumulations of one quarter inch occurred across many areas, with isolated higher amounts.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between a half inch and two inches.
Snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches.
Snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches.
Woodstock and Harvard measured 5.0 inches of snowfall.
Antioch measured 8.4 inches of snow and Wauconda measured 5.0 inches of snowfall.
Rochelle measured 5.0 inches of snowfall.
Snowfall totals ranged between 3 and 5 inches along with up to one half inch of sleet and ice accumulation.
Snowfall totals ranged between 3 and 6 inches along with up to one half inch of sleet and ice accumulation. Genoa measured 5.2 inches of snowfall.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred with accumulations of snow, sleet and ice between 1 and 3 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2007
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: 18518, 18519, 18520, 18522, 18517, 18366, 18372, 18374, 18375, 18376, 18400, 18401, 18402, 18403, 18404, 18405, 18514, 18516.