Thur-Fri, Jan 27-28th LAke Effect Snow Event Recap

​(7:00PM - 1/29/22) A brief recap regarding the Thursday night into Friday, Jan 27-28th lake effect snow event that brought accumulating snow to portions of Northeast Illinois and the Chicago area.

Overview...
Over the days leading into this event it had appeared likely that lake effect snow would be possible Thursday night through Friday morning along the Illinois/Indiana border on into Northwest Indiana. However, Thursday afternoon and evening model guidance made a significant shift west...Suggesting the lake effect snow would set up well west than previously shown, across portions of Northeast Illinois and the Chicago area. This shift did end up becoming relating, with several inches of lake effect snow having occurred across portions of Northeast Illinois and the Chicago area.

​Summary...
Lake effect snow developed over Lake Michigan and has pushed inland into portions of Northeast Illinois and the Chicago area Thursday night. Periods of lake effect snow then continued across portions of Northeast Illinois and the Chicago area, through Friday morning, before ending around midday. The most widespread and organized accumulating snow occurred across Cook County, where snowfall rates of 1-3" per hour with heavy snow occurred at times.

​​Wrap-Up...
Final snowfall totals upwards of 4-10" occurred across portions of Cook County in Northeast Illinois, with snowfall totals quickly tapering in all other directions.

​Below is a map representation of the final forecast and observed snowfall across Northeast Illinois and adjacent areas. 

JP