Cold in Illinois, December 2, 2008

Name: Cold in Illinois, December 2, 2008
Start: 2008-12-02T00:00
End: 2008-12-02T09:00
Location: Illinois

December 2, 2008 · NWS LOT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low temperatures dropped into the lower 20s on December 2nd. One woman died due to cold exposure after suffering spinal injuries from a fall.

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Low temperatures dropped into the lower 20s on December 2nd. One woman died due to cold exposure after suffering spinal injuries from a fall.

What forecasters said that day

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 Dec 1, 10:15 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 10:15 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1015 PM CST MON DEC 1 2008

.DISCUSSION...
810 PM CST

JUST SOME MINOR TWEAKS TO GOING FORECAST TONIGHT TO ACCOUNT FOR
SOME SCATTERED FLURRIES/LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND TO REMOVE EARLY
EVENING WIND GUST MENTION. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATING A FAIRLY
STEADY PROGRESSION TO BACK EDGE OF STRATOCU DECK ACROSS SOUTHERN
WISCONSIN INTO EASTERN IOWA. NAM AND GFS HAVE FAIRLY DIFFERENT
IDEAS WHEN IT COMES TO LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PROFILES OVERNIGHT WITH
THE NAM MORE AGGRESSIVE IN A DEEPER LOW LEVEL SATURATED LAYER
BENEATH THE INVERSION. HOWEVER...00Z RAOB FROM DVN WOULD TEND TO
SUGGEST NAM IS OVERDONE WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BENEATH THE
INVERSION WITH JUST A THIN CLOUD LAYER NEAR THE BASE OF THE
INVERSION AROUND 3500 FT. THUS...STILL BELIEVE GOING FORECAST ON
THE RIGHT TRACK CLEARING THINGS OUT LATE EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT. ELONGATED VORT CHANNEL WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK ACROSS
NORTHERN ILLINOIS OVER NEXT FEW HOURS AND CURRENT SFC OBS TEND TO
SUGGEST PRESENCE OF VERY WEAK SFC CONVG ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST
ILLINOIS WHERE SOME ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED. WITH THE
VORT MOVING THROUGH OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS...A FEW FLURRIES WILL
BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING.

MARSILI

&&

.AVIATION...

0600 UTC TAFS...BACKWASH OF SC FROM 2K TO 3K STREAMING SE FROM SW
WISCONSIN AND ERN IA PROBABLY MAKING IT THRU TERMINALS AFTER MDNGT
AND BEFORE SUNUP. SAY CLEARING COMING AT 07Z AT RFD TO 09Z AT ORD
TO 11Z AT GYY. CONCERN HAS BEEN FOR SFC RIDGE TO WORK EAST OF
TERMINALS SOMETIME BFR MRNG AND WAA OVERRIDING SC DECK AND KEEPING
IT INTACT OVER AREA THRU TUESDAY. RATE OF CLEARING HAS BEEN PRETTY
STEADY THE LAST 7 HOURS AND AM CHOOSING TO LEAN AWAY FROM RETAINING
SC THRU TUESDAY ESP WITH ANTICYCLONIC FLOW OVER TERMINALS BY
MRNG. GFS CERTAINLY MORE DRY THAN NAM FCST SOUNDING. SO HAVING
CONFLICTING MODEL SCENARIOS WITH THIS DECK. 00Z DVN UPR AIR
SOUNDING NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SATURATION DISPLAYED ON NAM BUT
RATHER SHOWS A THIN LAYER OF HIGH RH ONLY WHERE CURRENT SC LAYER
EXISTS. WILL CONTINUE WITH PERSISTENCE THEN AND CLEAR IT OUT
OVERNIGHT. WILL ADVECT WAA CI BY NOON AND WAA AC BY LT AFTN. WEST
WINDS UNDER 10KTS NOW BACKING WITH RIDGE PASSAGE TUESDAY. SW FLOW
BY LATE MRNG THRU AFTN GETS BRISK TO 20 KTS OR BETTER ON
TUESDAY...REFLECTIVE OF THE STRONG WARMING OF CONCERN.

RLB

&&

.MARINE...
223 PM CST

NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE OUT ON THE LAKE AS NORTHWEST GALES TO 40KTS
OVER THE PAST DAY HAS LED TO WAVES HIGHER THAN 10 FEET WITH A
PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS BETWEEN THE CRESTS. THESE WINDS/WAVES WILL
DIMINISH THROUGH THE NIGHT...BUT WITH GALES PERSISTING ACROSS THE
LAKE AT GLF ISSUANCE TIME...WILL EXTEND THE GALE WARNING THROUGH
3Z TONIGHT WHEN IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE BROAD SFC LOW FINALLY GETS
FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE LAKES. GALES HAVE SUBSIDED IN THE
NEARSHORE ZONES...BUT WITH WINDS STILL UP AROUND 30KTS...HAVE
ISSUED A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THAT GOES UNTIL 9PM TONIGHT FOR THE
IL ZONES AND UNTIL 3AM TUESDAY FOR THE IN ZONES.

A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL COME THROUGH THE LAKES TONIGHT
WHICH WILL OFFER A BRIEF BREAK FROM THE STRONG WINDS. HOWEVER...A
STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING THROUGH SOUTHERN CANADA WILL
INCREASE WINDS BACK UP TO GALE FORCE OUT OF THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST
ACROSS THE LAKE BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND LAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING. AT THIS POINT SINCE THERE IS ALREADY A GALE WARNING IN
EFFECT...WILL NOT ISSUE ANOTHER GALE WARNING AT THIS POINT BUT
WILL ALLOW THE EVENING SHIFT TO ISSUE ONE ONCE THE GALES SUBSIDE
TONIGHT.

HALBACH

&&

.LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
LM...GALE WARNING...LMZ261-LMZ362-LMZ364-LMZ366-LMZ563-LMZ565-LMZ567-
     LMZ868...NOON TUESDAY TO 4 AM WEDNESDAY.

     GALE WARNING...LMZ080-LMZ669-LMZ671-LMZ673-LMZ675-LMZ777-LMZ779-
     LMZ870-LMZ872-LMZ874-LMZ876-LMZ878...4 PM TUESDAY TO 9 AM
     WEDNESDAY.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...NEARSHORE GARY TO MICHIGAN CITY IN UNTIL 3 AM TUESDAY.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 1, 8:38 PM CST, 3 hours 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
838 PM CST MON DEC 1 2008

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019-
030245-
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE ILLINOIS-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-
DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-
IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE INDIANA-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-
838 PM CST MON DEC 1 2008 /938 PM EST MON DEC 1 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

SNOW...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME ACCUMULATION...IS POSSIBLE
WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO
WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO

LMZ740>745-030245-
WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR-
WILMETTE HARBOR TO NORTHERLY ISLAND-
NORTHERLY ISLAND TO CALUMET HARBOR-CALUMET HARBOR TO GARY-
GARY TO BURNS HARBOR-BURNS HARBOR TO MICHIGAN CITY-
838 PM CST MON DEC 1 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS
NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE INDIANA NEARSHORE
WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

STRONG WINDS AND HIGH WAVES WILL MAINTAIN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS
FOR SMALL CRAFT ACROSS THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS THIS EVENING
AND FOR THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS EAST OF GARY THROUGH EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

SOUTH WINDS MAY GUST ABOVE 20 KNOTS TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS MAY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR
SMALL CRAFT.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO
WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-030245-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MICHIGAN CITY IN TO ST. JOSEPH MI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO THE
MACKINAC BRIDGE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLEVOIX MI TO SOUTH
FOX ISLAND 5 NM OFFSHORE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM CHARLEVOIX TO POINT BETSIE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM POINT BETSIE TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE TO STURGEON BAY WI-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM STURGEON BAY TO TWO RIVERS WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM TOW RIVERS TO SHEBOYGAN WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE
TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WILMETTE HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ST. JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
838 PM CST MON DEC 1 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE OPEN WATERS
OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

SOUTHERLY GALE FORCE WINDS OF 35 TO 40KNOTS ARE LIKELY AGAIN
TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO
WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO

MARSILI

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 1, 6:39 PM CST, 5 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
639 PM CST MON DEC 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     SNOW             SKOKIE                  42.04N 87.74W
12/01/2008  M2.7 INCH        COOK               IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FINAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.

&&

NMARSILI

Event by event

1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Cook

When: December 2, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Cook forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: County Official

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Cold/Wind Chill, Cook	2008-12-02	48	Female	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, December 2008

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: 143449.