Extreme Cold in Illinois, January 4 to 5, 2009

Name: Extreme Cold in Illinois, January 4 to 5, 2009
Start: 2009-01-04T00:00
End: 2009-01-05T10:00
Location: Illinois

January 4 to 5, 2009 · NWS LOT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Low temperatures dropped into the middle to lower teens on January 4th and 5th. A 56 year old man in Chicago died due to the cold.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 middle to lower teens on January 4th and 5th. A 56 year old man in Chicago died due to the cold. In Davis Junction, a 47 year old man apparently abondoned his car and began walking. His car was found along the side of a road on January 4th. His body was discovered in a ditch on January 20th about 700 feet from where his car was found. His death was determined to be from hypothermia.

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 Jan 3, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1039 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009

.DISCUSSION...
730 PM CST

WEAK ECHOES CONTINUE TO BLOSSOM ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS THIS
EVENING IN STRONG ZONE OF ISENTROPIC LIFT WITH FAIRLY STEEP LAPSE
RATES BASED ABOVE THE INVERSION. MOISTURE PROFILES ABOVE THIS
MOIST INVERSION ARE VERY MEAGER HOWEVER WHICH IS LIMITING
PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION. HAVE RECEIVED SOME REPORTS ACROSS
EASTERN IOWA AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN OF SOME SLIPPERY ROADS WITH
FREEZING RAIN ISSUES. SFC TEMPS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS ARE NOW
RUNNING GENERALLY IN THE MID 30S...ALTHOUGH PAVEMENT TEMPS LIKELY
ARE STILL AT OR BELOW FREEZING. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR FOR POTENTIAL
OF SOME SLICK CONDITIONS DEVELOPING ACROSS FAR NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS LATE THIS EVENING BUT ACTUAL PRECIP AMOUNTS MAY BE LIGHT
ENOUGH TO NOT CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION...DEW POINTS
SHOULD BE RISING OVER NEXT FEW HOURS AS SFC LOW ACROSS EAST
CENTRAL MISSOURI LIFTS NORTHEAST WHICH SHOULD ALSO TEND TO SUPPORT
PRECIP MORE IN LIQUID FORM AS OPPOSED TO FREEZING RAIN. ALONG AND
JUST EAST OF THE INVERTED TROUGH AXIS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
LOW...HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH DENSE FOG ACROSS SOUTHEAST IOWA
INTO WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. MAY SEE SOME DENSE FOG LIFT NORTHEAST
INTO NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS OVER NEXT 2 TO 4 HOURS...BUT GIVEN
PROGRESSION OF THIS SYSTEM NOT EXPECTING DENSE FOG ISSUES TO LAST
FOR MORE THAN ABOUT A 3 HOUR WINDOW LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT. WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY DENSE FOG HEADLINES AT THIS
TIME...BUT WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED THROUGH THE EVENING. NO
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE TO GOING FORECAST AT THIS TIME AND STEADY
TEMP TREND FOR MOST LOCATIONS STILL APPEARS TO BE REASONABLE.

MARSILI

&&

.AVIATION...

0600 UTC TAFS...CLOUDS STILL HOVERING AT LOW MVFR NORTH OF THE
WARM FRONT TO OUR SOUTH. OVERRUNNING MSTR IS ENHANCING A SHARP
INVERSION ALREADY IN PLACE OVER NRN IL/NW INDY. CIGS DROP TO IFR
AND EVEN LIFR WITH VSBY KEEPING PACE TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS IN SOME
PLACES IN CENTRAL IL. DEWPT DEPRESSION IS GETTING SMALLER ACROSS
TERMINALS AS OVERRUNNING LT RAIN AND DRZL WORKING MSTR DOWN TO
THE SFC. LIFR CIGS STILL NOT IMMINENT FOR TERMINALS WITH THE CONTD
SE FLOW ADVECTING LOW TO MID 20 DEWPTS INTO NRN IL. AS
EXPECTED...HAVE PUSHED LIFR ONSET BACK PAST 06Z. NO FRZG PCPN
BEING REPORTED SO FAR AND WITH TEMPS SLOWLY RISING...THE
PROBABILITY IS NOT GOOD. THUS REMOVED ANY TRACES OF FRZG PCPN FROM
TAFS. WITH UPDATED MODEL DATA...MSTR DEPTH EVEN MORE SHALLOW AND
AM EXPECTING MORE CHC OF DRZL AND SPRINKLES THAN OUTRIGHT RAIN.

OF COURSE ANY MSTR FALLING THRU THIS SHORT DEPTH WILL ONLY BE
TRAPPED UNDER THIS BUILDING INVERSION OVERNIGHT. THIS FURTHER
ENFORCES LIFR CONDS. WINDS SWINGING FROM THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST TO
THE SW BY MORNING WITH WARM FROPA. THIS SHUD HELP LIFT VSBY MOSTLY
BY RELAXING THE STEEP INVERSION BUT PROBABLY STILL KEEPING CIGS LIFR
TO IFR THRU LT MRNG TO EARLY AFTN WHEN COLD FROPA MIXES DOWN
DRIER AIR INTO THE INVERSION AND DISSIPATES THE LOW CIGS. AS TEMPS
FALL...ANY LINGERING DRZL LIKELY TO CHANGE TO SNOW BRIEFLY BEFORE
ENDING BY AFTN. STRONG EAST TO SE WINDS SHUD SLACK A BIT AS THE
SFC LOW IN WRN MO KICKS NEWD INTO NERN IL BY MRNG. POST FRONTAL NW
FLOW LIKELY TO PICK UP TO 30 KTS BY NOONTIME...DIMINISHING AFTER
END OF TERMINAL FORECAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

RLB

&&

.MARINE...

237 PM...A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CURRENTLY MOVING EAST
ACROSS THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES REGION WILL REACH NEW ENGLAND
SUNDAY EVENING. LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTH HIGH PLAINS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS TONIGHT AND DISSIPATE OVER THE
EASTERN GREAT LAKES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. AS THE LOW PUSHES TO THE EAST
OF LAKE MICHIGAN...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO WEST TO NORTHWEST GALES
SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL
FOR GALE FORCE WINDS WILL BE OVER THE SOUTH HALF OF THE LAKE WHERE
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE THE STRONGEST. SO...HAVE UPGRADED
THE GALE WATCH TO A WARNING. WINDS WILL QUICKLY SUBSIDE AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND WESTERN
LAKES ON MONDAY.

KREIN

&&

.LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...DENSE FOG ADVISORY...ILZ019-ILZ021-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039 UNTIL 5
     AM SUNDAY.

IN...NONE.
LM...GALE WARNING...LMZ080-LMZ567-LMZ669-LMZ671-LMZ673-LMZ675-LMZ740-
     LMZ741-LMZ742-LMZ743-LMZ744-LMZ745-LMZ777-LMZ779-LMZ868-
     LMZ870-LMZ872-LMZ874-LMZ876-LMZ878...NOON SUNDAY TO
     MIDNIGHT MONDAY.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS UNTIL 9 AM SUNDAY.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 3, 10:51 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1051 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019-
050500-
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-
1051 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009 /1151 PM EST SAT JAN 3 2009/

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

.DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT.

PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN
OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...PAVEMENT TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY HOVERING
AROUND THE FREEZING MARK...ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR NORTHERN
ILLINOIS. SOME SCATTERED SLICK SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS ARE POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ACROSS FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS.

AREAS OF FOG ARE ALSO LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AS A WARM
FRONT LIFTS ACROSS THE AREA. THE FOG MAY BE DENSE FOR A TIME
OVERNIGHT...MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MENDOTA TO MORRIS TO
WATSEKA. FOG WILL DISSIPATE AS WINDS INCREASE FROM THE WEST SUNDAY
MORNING.

PORTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS...DES PLAINES...AND KANKAKEE RIVERS WILL
REMAIN IN FLOOD.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF MEASURABLE SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
OUTLOOK AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY...AS AN AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE LIFTS THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS IN
THE TRACK OF THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...THOUGH THE POTENTIAL
EXISTS FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TO ACCUMULATE NORTH OF THE OHIO
RIVER.

PORTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS...DES PLAINES...AND KANKAKEE RIVERS WILL
REMAIN IN FLOOD.

.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>745-050500-
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-
1051 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009

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...OVERNIGHT.

GUSTY EASTERLY WINDS UP TO 25 KNOTS WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS WIND
AND WAVE CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT ALONG THE ILLINOIS AND
INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO GALE FORCE ON
SUNDAY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE BY MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
NIGHT...THOUGH WILL REMAIN GUSTY ABOVE 20 KNOTS INTO EARLY
MONDAY. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING ALONG THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS...AND
INTO MONDAY AFTERNOON FARTHER EAST OF GARY INDIANA AS WAVES SLOWLY
SUBSIDE BELOW 4 FEET.

&&

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-
870-872-874-876-878-050500-
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-
1051 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009

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

.DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

GALE FORCE NORTHWEST TO WEST WINDS ARE LIKELY SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY
NIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

&&

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

MARSILI

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 3, 10:29 PM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1029 PM CST SAT JAN 03 2009

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

0950 PM     FREEZING RAIN    2 N WINNEBAGO           42.30N 89.24W
01/03/2009  E0.01 INCH       WINNEBAGO          IL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            VERY THIN COATING OF ICE ON WREX-TV PARKING LOT.

&&

NMARSILI

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ogle

When: January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Ogle forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 42.043, -89.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cook

When: January 5, 12:00 AM CST to 10:00 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
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ogle	2009-01-04	47	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cook	2009-01-05	56	Male	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, January 2009

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: 150423, 150422.