Historical Chicago Blizzard Draws to a Close
The historic Groundhog Blizzard that's been pummeling Chicago since late Tuesday has finally drawn to a close in the Windy City.
The Groundhog Blizzard now ranks third among the greatest snowstorms in Chicago's history, exactly what AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski predicted on Tuesday.
A total of 20.2 inches of snow has buried Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (the city's official weather observation site) through 10:30 a.m. CST.
The storm from late January 1967 sits atop the list of Chicago's biggest with 23.0 inches.
The 13.6 inches that fell alone on Tuesday made that day the snowiest February day on record. The previous record was held by Feb. 18, 1908, and its 11.5 inches.
Chicago's steadiest snow is over, and howling winds causing blowing and drifting of the snow will diminish tonight.
The same is expected from Milwaukee, Wis., to Alpena, Mich.
Blowing and drifting problems can continue causing airline delays and cancellations through early tonight, however.
The travel nightmare for airline passengers will expand away from the Great Lakes. With significant problems at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, the ripple effect will adversely impact other flights across the United States.
While the weather has been poor around the Great Lakes, conditions were worse Tuesday afternoon and night.
During that time, Chicago endured more than 12 straight hours of winds gusting near or past 40 mph. The winds severely whipped the snow around, holding visibility to a quarter of a mile or less for most of those 12 hours.
In the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, the winds whipped the snow into seven-foot drifts between homes.
Thunder and lightning were even sighted, while power outages ensued. WBBM reports that 50,000 people lost power Tuesday night within the city limits of Chicago.
FEMA personnel have been deployed to several of the many states that have been affected, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, according to USA Today.
FEMA has also been positioning commodities, such as water, meals, blankets, cots and generators, for rapid delivery if needed.
The snow that buried Chicago does not sit atop the blizzard's totals list across the Midwest.
Heavier snow totals, through 7 a.m. EST this morning, include:
--Hannibal, Mo.: 20.0 inches
--New Bloomfield, Mo.: 19.0 inches
--Butler, Mo.: 19.0 inches
--Des Plaines, Ill.: 17 to 18 inches
The 8.3 inches that fell in Madison, Wis., Tuesday shattered the day's snowfall record of 3.5 inches from 1915.
A snow record has even been set today. The 7.2 inches of snow that blanketed Lansing, Mich., through 7 a.m. EST, easily surpassed today's record of 2.9 inches from 1970.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 19° | Angel Fire, NM |
| Precip | 3.65" | Brooksville, FL |
WeatherWhys®
Late on May 31, 1985, a swarm of violent thunderstorms erupted over Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York and southern Ontario. The storms spawned many very destructive and deadly tornadoes, some of which attained F4 and F5 on the original Fujita Scale. This was the worst tornado outbreak ever observed in this part of the country.
This Day In Weather History
Vanport, Ore. (1948)
The Columbia River reached highest stages since 1894. Temporary dike broke, flooding the area so rapidly that few of the 18,700 residents escaped with more than their clothing.
Oklahoma City (1985)
The all-time record high for May (104 degrees). The first time temperature broke the 100-degree mark in May.
Rough Weather
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