Illinois Storm Chasers - Bringing Our Best, During Mother Natures Worst!
  • Home
  • Weather Information
  • Services
  • Resources
    • Illinois NWS Offices
    • Illinois News Media
    • Learning Resources
    • Illinois Severe Weather Info
    • Illinois Winter Weather Info
    • Weather Alerts Service
    • Storm Chasing Info
  • About
  • Contact
  • Store

Tue-Thur, Feb 1-3rd Major Winter Storm Recap

2/5/2022

0 Comments

 
(5:45PM - 2/5/22) A brief recap regarding the Tue-Thur, Feb 1-3rd major winter storm that produce a swath of significant accumulating snow/sleet/ice across the region and state during this time.

Summary...
A cold front moved across the region on Tuesday, associated with a storm system moving through Southern Canada. This frontal boundary became nearly stationary across portions of the region and Southern Illinois Tuesday night into Wednesday. With ample advection from the south over-topping this frontal boundary, a widespread overrunning precipitation event occurred across the region and state, midday Tuesday through Wednesday evening. Furthermore, a storm system developed in the Southern Plains on Wednesday, and then tracked through the Tennessee Valley on Thursday, and eventually into the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday. This storm system brought a renewed push of precipitation across the region and state, Wednesday night through Thursday night.
Summary...
Tuesday Midday - Wednesday Evening, Feb 1-2nd ~ Overrunning Precipitation Event:
A cold front moved through the region on Tuesday, associated with a storm system moving through Southern Canada. This frontal boundary slowed and became nearly stationary across the region and southern half of the state Tuesday night into today. With ample advection of mild/moist air from the south over-topping this frontal boundary, a widespread overrunning precipitation event occurred across the region and state, Tuesday morning through Wednesday evening. Precipitation, in the form of rain, developed and spread across the state Tuesday morning into Tuesday evening. As colder air filtered in on behind the slowing cold front pushing through the state, rain transitioned to a mix and snow across affected areas of Northern and Central Illinois Tuesday evening into Tuesday night. Snow then continued in varying intensity across a large portion of Northern and all of Central Illinois, from transition time through Wednesday afternoon and evening. Periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred at times, with more lull-like periods of lighter snows likely as well. Snowfall rates upwards of 1"+ an hour also occurred at times in the heavier periods of snow, especially Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. Across southern portions of Central Illinois, this is where the overall transition zone set up with mixed precipitation set up Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Across this zone, precipitation types from south to north ranged from freezing rain to sleet to snow. This transition zone shifted southward Wednesday morning across Southern Illinois, and will eventually stalled out across Southern Illinois during the day on Wednesday.

Wednesday Night - Thursday Evening, Feb 2-3rd ~ Main Storm System:
As the overrunning precipitation continued across the state into Wednesday evening, the main storm system will also move into the region. A renewed push of precipitation moved across the state and region associated with the main storm system, Wednesday night through Thursday evening. This renewed push of precipitation, in the form of snow, moved into Southwestern Illinois Wednesday night. This area of snow then spread across portions of Central and Southern Illinois, from  Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon, before ending by Thursday evening. Periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred at times, with snowfall rates of 1-2" an hour having also occurred at times. Additionally, a period of windy conditions occurred Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon. During this time wind gusts upwards of 25-40MPH occurred across portions of Central and Southern Illinois, which caused blowing and drifting snow. Further south across Southern Illinois, the transition zone of mixed precipitation was in place Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Across this zone in Southern Illinois, precipitation types from south to north will range from freezing rain to sleet to snow. This transition zone eventually changed over to snow during the day on Thursday, before ending.

In additional to the synoptic aspect to this winter storm period, conditions were favorable for a bit of lake enhanced and lake effect snow across portions of Northeast Illinois, Wednesday night through Thursday evening. This enhanced snowfall totals a bit for portions of Northeast Illinois near Lake Michigan.
Wrap Up...
-An axis of of significant snowfall totals occurred across the heart of the state, with snowfall totals upwards of 8-15" in the main corridor, with locally higher amounts. Snowfall amounts quickly tapered north and south of this main axis, across Northern and Southern Illinois.
-An axis of significant ice accumulations of 0.10-0.50" occurred across Southern Illinois.
-Windy conditions on Wednesday and Thursday caused blowing and drifting snow across the heart of the state.

-Significant and widespread travel impacts occurred across much of the state, especially across the heart of the state

​​Below are map representations of the final forecasts and observed totals of snowfall and ice across the state and adjacent areas. 
​Observed Snowfall Totals
Picture
Observed Ice Totals
Picture
Final Snowfall Forecast
Picture
Final Ice Forecast
Picture
JP
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018

    categories

    All
    Central Illinois
    Forecasts
    General
    Northern Illinois
    Recaps
    Southern Illinois

    RSS Feed

Contact Us
staff@illinoisstormchasers.com
© 2015-2023 Illinois Storm Chasers, LLC (ISC)
Add us on social media!
  • Home
  • Weather Information
  • Services
  • Resources
    • Illinois NWS Offices
    • Illinois News Media
    • Learning Resources
    • Illinois Severe Weather Info
    • Illinois Winter Weather Info
    • Weather Alerts Service
    • Storm Chasing Info
  • About
  • Contact
  • Store