Low temperature in the teens and a high near freezing contributed to the cold exposure death of man.
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.
Low temperature in the teens and a high near freezing contributed to the cold exposure death of man.
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 22, 3:08 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 308 PM CST SAT DEC 22 2012 .DISCUSSION... 307 PM CST AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION AND ANOTHER AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE SPREADS SOUTH AND EAST OUT OF CANADA...THE WEATHER ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWESTERN INDIANA WILL REMAIN QUIET THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL FOCUS ON CHANCES FOR SNOW ON MONDAY. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WITH RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY TO SOUTHWESTERLY. WITH SOME AIRMASS MODIFICATION...DO NOT EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO DROP QUITE AS LOW AS LAST NIGHT...BUT WITH SOME SNOWPACK STILL IN PLACE OVER WRN AND NWRN IL...TEMPERATURES SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM DROPPING INTO THE LOWER TEENS WEST OF THE FOX VALLEY...INCLUDING THE ROCKFORD METRO AREA. FARTHER EAST AND SOUTH...WHERE THERE IS LITTLE TO NO SNOW ON THE GROUND...TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE MORE MODERATE...IN THE LOW 20S. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND AREAS OF THE CHICAGO METRO AREA WHICH WILL ONLY DROP INTO THE MIDDLE 20S. SUNDAY WILL REMAIN SIMILARLY QUIET...WITH AMPLE SUNSHINE AND LIGHT SWLY WINDS. A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPPING OUT OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...AHEAD OF THE CANADIAN HIGH...SHOULD PUSH INTO NWRN IL BY LATE MORNING...LIMITING ANY CHANCE FOR TEMPERATURES TO INCREASE MUCH THROUGH THE DAY...SO TEMPERATURES THERE SHOULD TOP OUT ONLY IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA...AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...TEMPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLIMB A BIT HIGHER...INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S. NO PCPN OR EVEN MUCH IN THE WAY OF CLOUD COVER INCREASE IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT AS THE AIRMASS REMAINS VERY DRY. MY EARLY MONDAY...A SOUTHERN STREAM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTH HIGH PLAINS WILL BEGIN TO TRACK NEWD. THE MODELS ARE IN RELATIVELY DECENT AGREEMENT ON TRACKING THE SFC LOW CENTER THROUGH THE OZARKS ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY BY MONDAY MORNING. WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING SWD THROUGH THE PLAINS...SEE LITTLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SYSTEM TO TAKE A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK...WHICH WILL LIMIT PCPN POTENTIAL FOR THE LOCAL AREA. DURING THE DEVELOPING STAGE AS THE SYSTEM TRACKS THROUGH THE OZARKS...THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY TO TAP SOME GULF MOISTURE...MUCH OF WHICH SHOULD BE SHUNTED INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. THE WILL LIKELY BE ENOUGH WARM ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC LIFT ON THE LEADING EDGE TO SPREAD SOME PCPN INTO CENTRAL IL...AND POSSIBLY AS FAR NORTH AS THE I-88 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA SHOULD BE LOW ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SNOW RATHER THAN A RAIN/SNOW MIX...BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF MORE SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL FORCING...PCPN AMOUNTS AND POSSIBLE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT. AS THE SFC LOW PASSES INTO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY IN THE AFTERNOON...LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL TURN MORE NELY...SETTING UP THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS FOR NERN IL...INCLUDING THE CHICAGO METRO AREA. THERMAL PROFILES FROM THE LATEST MODEL RUNS SHOW ONLY MODEST INSTABILITY IN THE LOWER LEVELS...WITH SFC-850MB DELTA-T OF ONLY 15-17C. SO...WHILE THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS...OR AT LEAST SOME LAKE ENHANCEMENT TO THE SYNOPTIC SCALE SNOW GENERATED BY THE SOUTHERN STREAM SYSTEM. AT THIS POINT...DO NOT EXPECT A SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL FOR CHRISTMAS EVE OVER CNTRL/NERN IL. THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...AS THE SFC LOW CONTINUES TO TRACKS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL TURN MORE NORTHWESTERLY... SHIFTING THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW POTENTIAL TO NWRN INDIANA. BY THIS TIME...COOLER AIR ALOFT WILL BE ABLE TO FILTER INTO THE REGION AND LAKE SFC-850MB DELTA-T VALUES WILL BE A LITTLE GREATER...AT 18-20F. THIS GREATER INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY FOR NORTHERN LAKE AND PORTER COUNTIES. DEPENDING ON WHETHER A TRUE LAKE PLUME CAN SET UP...THAT AREA COULD SEE A MORE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS FOR LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY. FOR THE LONGER TERM FORECAST PERIOD...FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY...THE SOUTHERN STREAM WILL REMAIN ACTIVE WITH A SERIES OF SYSTEMS LIFTING OUT OF THE SOUTH HIGH PLAINS. THE GFS AND ECMWF BOTH ADVERTISE SIMILAR SYSTEMS...THOUGH THE GFS HAS BEEN TRENDING A LITTLE FASTER AND A LITTLE MORE NORTHERLY THAN THE ECMWF. GIVEN THE SIMILAR IDEAS...BUT WITH SOME TIMING/DISPLACEMENT DIFFERENCES...HAVE GONE WITH A COMPROMISE SOLUTION WITH THIS SYSTEM IN HOW THE ASSOCIATED PCPN SHOULD IMPACT THE LOCAL AREA. AT THIS POINT...FEEL THAT THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT SNOWFALL TO NRN IL/NWRN IN...BUT SHOULD REMAIN FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL. WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY A BIT TOO EARLY TO HAVE ANY REAL CONFIDENCE IN ACCUMULATIONS...THE PATTERN ADVERTISED WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO AT LEAST SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. KREIN && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 20Z... * NO AVIATION CONCERNS THROUGH THIS EVENING. * WINDS SLOWLY TURN NORTHERLY OVERNIGHT...NORTHEASTERLY SUN MORNING TO AROUND 5 TO 8 KT. * POSSIBLE SCT LAKE EFFECT CLOUDS DEVELOP LATE SUN MORNING. BEACHLER //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 18Z... HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LIGHT WEST WINDS ARND 5 KT. IN ADDITION SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR...WITH JUST A THIN CIRRUS SHIELD ARND 20-25KFT AGL. WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL BEGIN TO TURN NORTHWEST...NORTH BY DAYBREAK SUN AS A WEAK BOUNDARY SLIPS SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN IL/NORTHWEST IN. WINDS WILL THEN BEGIN TO TURN NORTHEAST LATE SUN MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. AS WINDS TURN NE OFF OF THE LAKE...GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO FORM. AT THIS TIME THE MOISTURE OFF OF LAKE MICHIGAN LOOKS MINIMAL AND SHALLOW...SO PRECIPITATION DOES NOT LOOK PROBABLE. HOWEVER...IT LOOKS POSSIBLE FOR A FEW/SCT CLOUDS AROUND 1000-2000FT AGL TO FORM. HAVE OPTED TO INCLUDE MENTION OF THIS WITHIN THE TAF FOR ORD/MDW/DPA. OVERALL EXPECT THE CLOUDS TO REMAIN FEW/SCT RATHER THAN BKN/OVC. BEACHLER //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 20Z... * HIGH CONFIDENCE IN ALL FORECAST ELEMENTS THROUGH 10Z. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN THE WINDS TURNING NE AROUND DAYBREAK SUN. * MEDIUM/LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE FORMATION OF LOW CLOUDS SUN. * HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT ANY LOW CLOUDS SUN WILL NOT BE BKN/OVC RATHER REMAIN FEW/SCT CONDS AND VFR. BEACHLER //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 00Z MONDAY-12Z SATURDAY...UPDATED 12Z... SUNDAY NIGHT...MVFR CIGS POSSIBLE. MONDAY...MVFR CIGS LIKELY. CHANCE OF -SN AND ASSOCIATED PERIODIC IFR. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...MVFR CIGS FAIRLY PREDOMINANT. PERIODIC LAKE EFFECT/ENHANCED -SHSN POSSIBLE. FRIDAY...VFR. IZZI && .MARINE... 219 PM CST A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE STRETCHES FROM CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH THE GULF COAST WITH LIGHT SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE. WAVES WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH SO DROPPED THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AS SCHEDULED. LOW PRESSURE REMAINS OVER SOUTHEASTERN QUEBEC AND ITS WEAK SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE DOWN THE LAKE TONIGHT WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTH BEHIND IT. A LARGE SURFACE RIDGE WILL SINK SOUTH INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AS WELL TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS OVER TEXAS SUNDAY EVENING AND MOVES OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY MONDAY NIGHT...AND WINDS TURN EASTERLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY MORNING. PERSISTENT EASTERLY WINDS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO WAVES THAT ARE HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT PRIMARILY OVER THE ILLINOIS NEAR SHORE WATERS. THE SURFACE RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT A STRONGER SURFACE LOW FORMS OVER EASTERN TEXAS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE LOW DEEPENS AS IT MOVES OVER THE APPALACHIANS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTH ACROSS THE LAKE AS THE LOW PASSES TO THE SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY WITH GALES POSSIBLE PRIMARILY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE WEDNESDAY. AS THE NORTH FLOW INCREASES AND WAVES BUILD...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL MOST LIKELY BE NEEDED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THE RIDGE MOVES OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES THURSDAY EVENING WITH THE NEXT SURFACE LOW ARRIVING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. JEE && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 339 PM CST SAT DEC 22 2012 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019- 232145- 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- 339 PM CST SAT DEC 22 2012 /439 PM EST SAT DEC 22 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS... NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR PERIODS OF WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING AND AGAIN FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. SOME ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SYSTEMS. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS FOR FAR NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWESTERN INDIANA ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. SOME ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. .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>745-232145- 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- 339 PM CST SAT DEC 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE INDIANA NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HIGH WAVES MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT PRIMARILY ALONG THE ILLINOIS NEAR SHORE WATERS MONDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. HIGH WINDS AND WAVES WILL LIKELY CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. GALE FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. && 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- 870-872-874-876-878-232145- 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 TWO 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- 339 PM CST SAT DEC 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. GALE FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRIMARILY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO JEE/KREIN
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A 53 year old man was found outside in Skokie. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner the man died of cold exposure.
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 | 2012-12-22 | 53 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2012
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: 424912.