BLIZZARD 2011 Updated for Chicago, IL

The massive winter storm that brought Chicago it’s first true blizzard in years is now located over Toledo, Ohio, and rapidly moving east. Snow continues to wrap around the backside of the storm into northern Illinois at this hour. Snow falling over the region is not nearly as intense as it was last night, but a light to moderate snowfall is expected to continue until 9AM. Between 9AM and Noon, the snow will start to taper to flurries or end. The lone exception to this will be northern Indiana, where lake effect snow will continue well into the afternoon.

Additional accumulation between 3AM and Noon is expected to be in the 3″ to 6″ range, bringing storm totals to 14″ to 20″.

Strong northeast winds will continue to whip moisture off Lake Michigan, enhancing snowfall rates over the Chicago region this morning.

Here is the latest from the Storm Prediction Center on the meteorological aspects of the storm

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/md0082.html

A Civil Danger Warning has been issued for southern Wisconsin, a result of the extremely hazardous if not impossible travel conditions created by the blizzard raking the area. The roads are so bad that authorities are worried that it may be impossible to rescue stranded motorists.

Some late snow totals at 1:30 am

Evanston 16 inches

Oak Park 16 inches

La Salle 13 inches

Valparaiso 7.5 inches

The city’s official snowfall totals for the first day of the Blizzard of 2011 are in and the blinding snowfall has been a record breaker.

At O’Hare the official snowfall total on Tuesday was 13.6 inches which breaks the city’s daily monthly snowfall record for the entire month of February which was set just last year when 12.6 inches fell on February 9, 2010. O’Hare Airport measured 10.6 inches of snow between 6pm and midnight which equates to a snowfall rate of 1.75 inches per hour.

Midway Airport also set a daily snowfall record for the month of February. The 11.9 inch snowfall there shattered the old mark of 9.7 inches established on February 13 ,2007 when 9.7 inches fell.

The blizzard conditions are expected to continue across the city overnight and into Wednesday morning with finall total expected to be in the 16 to 24 inch range.

Midwesterners are a tough lot. Events don’t throw them easily—least of all, a winter snow system. But the force with which the Blizzard of 2011 slammed the area Tuesday afternoon and night surprised even veterans of the region’s sometimes tumultuous weather. It left many remarking that the intense rate at which snow fell for such a long period was like nothing they had ever seen before.

Snow began falling in the city around 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon amid strengthening northeast winds. The storm responsible had walloped the Plains earlier in the day, whipping the area with gusts as high as 55 mph at Caruthersville, Missouri and 54 mph at Woodward, Oklahoma. Snowfall reached 21 inches at Owasso and 20 inches at Claremore—both in Oklahoma. Other totals included 18 inches at Lamar and Joplin both in Missouri. Totals reached 13.5 inches at Quincy, Illinois.

By nightfall in Chicago, with winds already gusting above 40 mph and traffic on many area thoroughfares slowing to a crawl, the magnitude of the historic storm was becoming evident. Within hours, not only were motorists and their vehicles stranded on a steadily growing number of snowbound roads and highways, but peak wind gusts which had first topped 50 mph, had strengthened to 60, sending the storm’s heavy snows through the air horizontally, slashing the visibility to zero and creating “white-out” conditions. In many areas, residents were unable to see across their own streets. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed in the midst of the blizzard conditions, a surprise to some who were unaware of the thunder-snow phenomenon.

Lightning erupts in the midst of white-out conditions

At some locations, the lightning was so bright, it illuminated the area as if night had turned to day. Lightning forms in especially powerful winter storms when air ascends at such an elevated pace that towering thunderheads spring to life.

With snow still falling and accumulating at a furious pace, drifts had grown as high as six feet late Tuesday night. At the same time, snow measurements reached 13 inches at Schaumburg, 12 inches at Tinley Park and Glen Ellen, 11 inches at Peotone, 10.2 at Midway Airport, 9.6 at southwest suburban Romeoville and 9-inches at Valparaiso, Indiana. Portage, Indiana reported 10.5 inches of snow had piled into four foot-high drifts.

Lakeshore Drive and a number of thoroughfares closed as white-out conditions grip the famed boulevard; stretches of state roads and Interstates shut down as well

So dire were conditions on a number of area thoroughfares late Tuesday evening, that snow plows dispatched to try and clear these roads fell victim to the gargantuan drifts they had hoped to plow. It was a scene repeated over and over again. Fifty cars were reported trapped on I-90 near Marengo while 50 cars were stranded on U.S. 20 between Rockford and Galena. Winnebago Road near U.S. 20 in the Rockford area was covered by six-foot drifts and had to be closed. Evening commuters in Chicago, who had embarked on the trip home from work hours earlier, found themselves on Lakeshore Drive stranded in their vehicles. Some had little choice but to abandon their cars. Police were forced to shut the Drive down.

Bitter cold follows

A fresh cover of snow provides the perfect environment for bitterly cold air to take hold Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Temperatures by daybreak Thursday are predicted to drop as low as 12-below zero away from the city and to near 0 degrees in the city proper. Temperatures remain cold the rest of the work week—but moderate to more seasonable levels this weekend.

Longer range computer projections have hinted at a strong arctic outbreak sweeping into the nation’s mid-section next week. Ominously, at least one model—which successfully projected the current storm’s development a week ago, hints at a possible new storm early next week taking shape in Texas and swinging northeastward into the Midwest. This will have to be watched.

by Mike Hamernik http://twitter.com/#!/MikeHamernik

The worst winter storm to hit Chicago in 30 years will ease slightly overnight. Snowfall rates are expected to drop off from 2″-3″ per hour to around 1″ per hour between Midnight and 3AM.

Records fall at O’Hare and Midway

Day one of The Great Ground Hog Day Blizzard of 2011 is over and the official snowfall totals from O’Hare and Midway are in. Midway received 11.9″ and O’Hare stands at 13.6″. Both are daily records, and records for the month of February.

Power outages continue- this time Logan Square

Just had a report from a spotter that a large part of the Logan Square neighborhood on the northwest side is withoout power. Stay warm, stay safe. Chicago Public Libraries are open as shelters

60mph winds may weaken a bit, especially over the southern suburbs

The latest computer model guidance offers some slight hope that the winds will subside a little over the next couple of hours. The center of low pressure at 5000 feet which is helping drive the wind, will move closer to Chicago between Midnight and 3AM. Winds near the lows center are considerably lighter, which hopefully will drop wind gusts from 60mph to 40 to 45mph.

Up to 10 inches already on the ground, another 10 to 12 on the way

Snowfall rates are expected to ease between Midnight and 3AM. After 3AM, snow will continue, but at a slower pace. Incredibly, most of the Chicago area is expected to see totals in the 16 to 22 inch range.

Chicago Police, Fire Department still rescuing stranded motorists on LSD

A must read from the Tribune Staff. Here’s the story http://bit.ly/i0vm0d

Top Wind Gusts Tonight

67mph Chicago- Harrison-Dever Crib

62mph Lombard (9:07PM)

60mph Frankfort (8:25PM)

59mph Chicago-Rogers Park (8:56PM)

Snowfall totals surpass the 1 foot mark

13.0″ Schaumburg

12.0″ Tinley Park

10.8″ Melrose Park

10.2″ Chicago-Midway