Community Corner

Evanston Snowfall Total Exceeds 14 Inches

As of Thursday evening, a slow-moving storm had dumped 14.1 inches of snow on the city.

Update, 5:30 p.m. Thursday:

Once the snowstorm that began on New Year's Eve finally ended Thursday evening, the city tallied a total of 14.1 inches of snow, according to public works director Jim Maiworm. 

Plow crews were focused on clearing the main streets and salting them for rush hour, while a large crew would come on overnight to re-plow residential streets that got hit with more snow Thursday afternoon.

Original story:


By Thursday morning, Evanston was blanketed with 11.1 inches of snow and residents could expect to see an additional inch or so fall in the afternoon, according to public works director Jim Maiworm.

Once the afternoon's band of lake effect snow had passed through, city plow crews would focus on readying the roads for rush hour, Maiworm said. 

The snowstorm that started New Year's Eve and continued through Thursday was being hailed as the largest to hit the area since the the Groundhog Day blizzard of 2011, according to the Chicago Weather Center blog

Related: Downtown Evanston Parking Garages Free Through Sunday Due to Heavy Snow; Snow Emergency Declared for Evanston


Snow could continue to fall as late as 6 p.m., with a lake effect snow warning in effect for Lake, Cook, DuPage and Will counties.  A wind chill advisory will take effect for much of the area from 9 p.m. Thursday through 10 a.m. Friday with temperatures between -8 to -18 expected and wind chill values between -15 and -25 degrees. 

The National Weather Service reported two-day snowfall totals as of 9:25 a.m. Thursday with Gurnee topping its chart with 18 inches of snow. Here is a look at what other communities recorded for snowfall:

  • GURNEE 2W (LAKE): 18.0
  • HIGHWOOD 1S (LAKE): 15.1 
  • RIVERWOODS (LAKE): 13.8 
  • MUNDELEIN (LAKE): 13.7 
  • BUFFALO GROVE 2N (LAKE): 13.7 
  • INVERNESS 2S (COOK): 13.5 
  • BEACH PARK 1W (LAKE): 12.9 
  • ELK GROVE VILLAGE 1ESE (COOK): 12.8 
  • HARWOOD HEIGHTS 2NNE (COOK): 12.8 
  • SCHAUMBURG 2E (COOK): 12.7 
  • ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 2NNW (COOK): 12.3 
  • LAKE VILLA 1SSW (LAKE): 11.9 
  • WAUKEGAN 2N (LAKE): 11.8 
  • PARK RIDGE (COOK): 11.8 
  • ELMHURST 1ESE (DU PAGE): 11.0 
  • LINCOLNWOOD 2E (COOK): 10.8 
  • GENOA (DE KALB): 10.4 
  • BARRINGTON (LAKE): 10.3 
  • BOTANIC GARDENS (COOK): 9.7 
  • HOFFMAN ESTATES 5W (COOK): 9.4 
  • WINFIELD (DU PAGE): 9.1 
  • ELGIN (KANE): 9.1 
  • ST. CHARLES (KANE): 9.0 
  • OAK PARK 2S (COOK): 9.0 
  • HARVARD (MCHENRY): 9.0 
  • BULL VALLEY 2WNW (MCHENRY): 8.8 
  • CAROL STREAM (DU PAGE): 8.6 
  • WOODSTOCK (MCHENRY): 8.0 
  • ROCKFORD 3NE (WINNEBAGO): 8.0  
  • DOWNERS GROVE 2SE (DU PAGE): 8.0 
  • MIDWAY COOP (COOK): 7.5 
  • GENEVA 1SSW (KANE): 7.5  
  • LA GRANGE PARK 1SSW (COOK): 7.4 
  • NORTH AURORA 2NE (KANE): 7.2 
  • BURR RIDGE 2SW (DU PAGE): 7.2 
  • OAK BROOK (DU PAGE): 6.9 
  • LISLE (DU PAGE): 6.7  
  • BATAVIA (KANE): 6.7 
  • BARTLETT 1SSE (DU PAGE): 6.5
  • AURORA (KANE): 6.5
  • PLAINFIELD 2SSE (WILL): 6.3 
  • MARENGO (MCHENRY).: 6.0 
  • O'HARE (COOK): 5.8 
  • BOLINGBROOK 3NE (DU PAGE): 5.5
  • PALOS PARK 1SW (COOK).: 5.1 
  • YORKVILLE 1W (KENDALL): .4.5 
The Chicago Weather Center Blog reported the snowfall totals from reports received this morning from a snowstorm that started New Year's Eve and continued through Jan. 2. Here is a look at other snowfall totals, according to the blog: 
  • Schaumburg: 14.5 inches
  • Gurnee: 16 inches
  • Arlington Heights: 16 inches
  • Evanston: 10 inches
  • Cary: 11.8 inches
  • Mundelein: 13.7 inches
  • Wheaton: 7 inches
  • Streamwood: 11.9 inches
  • Winfield: 9.1 inches
For those heading back to work on Thursday, slippery roads slowed traffic and the Illinois State Police reported spin-outs but no major accidents, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hundreds of flights were cancelled Thursday morning at O'Hare, according to the article.


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