Illinois, 2022

Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Illinois, January 28, 2022

January 28, 2022 · NWS LOT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Lake effect snow developed over far northeast Illinois including Chicago during the early morning of January 28th and continued into the afternoon. A band of heavy lake effect snow moved across parts of Cook County producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

Lake effect snow developed over far northeast Illinois including Chicago during the early morning of January 28th and continued into the afternoon. A band of heavy lake effect snow moved across parts of Cook County producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Storm total snowfall amounts included 10.0 inches in Wilmette; 9.0 inches near Evanston and Skokie; 8.0 inches in Jefferson Park; 7.2 inches three miles southwest of Chicago Midway Airport; 7.1 inches in Harwood Heights; 6.0 inches in Lincoln Square and 3.3 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport.

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 27, 5:52 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 5:52 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 27, 4:41 PM CST, 7 hours 19 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lake-effect snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Central Cook County

When
January 28, 12:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Central Cook County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Cook County

When
January 28, 12:00 AM CST to 3:30 PM CST
Where
Southern Cook County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Cook County

When
January 28, 1:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Northern Cook County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Du Page

When
January 28, 3:00 AM CST to 1:30 PM CST
Where
Du Page forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.852, -88.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow
Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 2022

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: 1003528, 1003530, 1003527, 1003529.