Sciascia

Dumb question(s): Is ORD looking to be too far NW to get in on the LES? If it is, and ORD is the standard for reporting “Chicago” snow, does the downtown snow get counted separately?

15z RAP with 14-18” around Chicago metro by 12pm Tuesday (with LES still falling at IL lakeshore at 51hrs)

15z RAP going hard on LES

I do not support defunding the agency that has to try forecasting something as variable as the weather. Weather is fickle, weather is emotionless. Weather does whatever it wants to do, and that can change on a dime. As a general point: I couldn’t do the job that RC & Purdue do; and we should be even more thankful to have them around to give their expertise. It’s like if you were on the Reddit page for Game of Thrones/your favorite TV show & one of the actors was a regular contributor. Can’t take it for granted.

I thought that 10.8” storm counted for February. My mistake on that.

You are a gentleman and a scholar. Much appreciated.

What’s a good site, if any, that keeps track of seasonal/monthly snowfall totals at airports? I’d rather be able to track things myself than have to ask everyone here all the time.

STAT TIME: Chicago’s snowiest month on record is January 1918 with 42.5”. If this storm/lake effect pans out, February 2021 is gonna be hot on its heels.

Euro with a wide swath of 6”+ from Chicago & points SE (majority 10 inch totals in Indiana). Oddly enough, is the first 0z run I’ve seen tonight without a strong western LM lake signal. Or, I should say, no wacky weenie results.

GFS-V16 continues 0z trend of strong lake-influenced NE IL high snow totals.

Almost all 0z models so far highlighting a strong LE signal for western Lake Michigan. Not all heaviest amounts are onshore, though. So like all lake effect scenarios, a wait & see approach.

Navy Pier buried? EDIT: WRF-ARW also painting a 24”+ spot just offshore in IL, with the lake plume still present at 48hrs.

Wrigleyville cam is also nice right now.

So what you’re saying is I’ll likely have to prepare for Metra delays coming from Boone County to Jefferson Park on Saturday evening? The snow loving part of me is all reading those thoughts, though.

Nice to read (and hear from family) about the good snows around the city of Chicago. I’m home on vacation in Poplar Grove, where it’s been mostly smaller type flakes off & on. Anyone know the current ORD snow total for Feb? Gotta already be one of the snowiest months in a few seasons, I would think.

HRRR Martin chimes in with the 13z:

That burst was awesome. @Hoosier tells no lies.

I look forward to it! Still dancing between a light & a moderate. But winds have kicked up a lot. Edit: Getting heavier. Visibility down Harlem Ave is dropping.

A little over 5 miles SE of ORD, light snow right now in Harwood Heights (38 degrees). Seems to have started as snow as ground is dry.

If that were to actually play out verbatim, then ORD will have gotten 67% of its’ average annual snowfall in just 9 days.

If this verifies, would qualify for another WSW for part of the LOT area. It would be the 3rd in 8-9 days. Wonder if that’s ever happened before.

I’m heading back to Boone County on Thursday evening. If that low tracks over Chicago as shown on the 12z GFS, gonna be a pretty snowy return.

STOP THE COUNT!

Either the warm tongue and/or Lake Michigan has screwed you around a bit for recent snow events from becoming great. So I’m happy that it’s worked out for you guys.