Midnight Update: The National Weather Service reports that this was the 3rd biggest snowstorm in Chicago history, and the biggest in the month of February:
1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
3. 20.2 inches Feb 1-2, 2011
4. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
5. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
6. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
7. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
8. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
9. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
10. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
It was also the 4th biggest in Rockford history:
1. 16.3 inches on January 6-7, 1918
2. 16.0 inches on March 30–31, 1926
3. 15.0 inches on March 21–22, 1932
4. 14.3 inches on February 1-2, 2011
5. 13.8 inches on March 1–2, 1948
6. 12.9 inches on December 11–13, 1909
7. 12.5 inches on February 10–11, 1944
8. 12.3 inches on January 11–14, 1979
9. 12.0 inches on January 17–19, 1943
10. 11.5 inches on January 14–15, 1943
In Milwaukee, the Weather Service reports:
- The total snow amount that fell on Wednesday, February 2nd was 9.1 inches, a new daily record for this day for Milwaukee.
- 16.0 inches fell between 6 pm on Tuesday, February 1st and noon on Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is tied for fourth for any 24 hour period.
- 19.6 inches fell between noon on Monday, January 31st and noon, Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is fourth for any 48 hour period.
6 PM Update: Today's 6.6" at Chicago O'Hare is a new record for the date. The preliminary storm total is 20.2", and the season to date is 47.5". The record February snowfall was 27.8" in 1896, and the record winter amount (December-February) was 80.6" in 1978-1979. This season now ranks 11th. Chicago snowfall records began in 1884.
5 PM Update: As the heavy snow winds down, the National Weather Service is reporting a peak snowfall amount of 27" near Antioch, Illinois, with another 2-foot-plus amount (24.3") north of Glen Ellyn. In southern Wisconsin, locations near Kenosha (24") and Racine (23.5") were also in the 2-foot range. Here are the 20"+ reports as of 4 pm:
...ILLINOIS...
ANTIOCH 2.1 ESE 27.0
GLEN ELLYN 2.3 N 24.3
ST. CHARLES 6.0 NW 22.7
BEACH PARK 1.4 W 21.7
GENEVA 0.9 N 21.5
MARSEILLES 5.6 WNW 21.5
OTTAWA 1.3 NW 21.5
WONDER LAKE 0.8 WNW 21.1
WOODSTOCK 5 NW 21.1
SPRING GROVE 2 N 20.8
WESTMONT 1.2 SSE 20.3
HOFFMAN ESTATES 4.6 W 20.2
ABINGDON 20.0
INVERNESS 1.7 S 20.0
NORTH AURORA 1.5 NE 20.0
...WISCONSIN...
KENOSHA 4.8 NNE 24.0
RACINE 2.3 WSW 23.5
WEST ALLIS 0.7 SSE 22.5
...MISSOURI...
GREEN RIDGE 3.3 SW 22.0
URBANA 2.7 NNE 22.0
JERICO SPRINGS 20.0
...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
Original post:The massive storm system now moving through the Northeast has left snowfall amounts ranging up to 20" and ice amounts near 1" in some parts of the Midwest.
The snowfall on Tuesday, February 1, was a new all-time February calendar day record at Chicago, according to the National Weather Service:
A RECORD BREAKING 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT CHICAGO OHARE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT YESTERDAY. THIS NOT ONLY BREAKS THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 4.0 INCHES FOR THE DATE SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 1 1967...BUT
ALSO ESTABLISHES A NEW ALL TIME RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH
OF FEBRUARY FOR CHICAGO. THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL RECORD
FOR CHICAGO FOR FEBRUARY WAS 11.5 INCHES SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 18
1908.
The main reason for the excessive snowfall was the record-setting liquid precipitation:
A DAILY RECORD PRECIPTATION OF 0.74 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT
CHICAGO-OHARE IL YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 0.67 SET
IN 1915.
As of this morning, here are some storm total ice and snowfall reports from the National Weather Service via the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (alphabetical by state):
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN ICE AMOUNTS IN INCHES FROM
700 AM EST MON JAN 31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...
...CONNECTICUT...
BRIDGEPORT 0.50
NEW HAVEN 0.40
CHESTER 0.20
...NEW JERSEY...
CLIFTON 0.60
WHITEHOUSE 0.50
HAWTHORNE 0.30
EWING 0.25
GLEN ROCK 0.20
...NEW YORK...
SHOREHAM 0.60
BRONX 0.50
LEVITTOWN 0.40
REGO PARK 0.30
SCARSDALE 0.20
WOODSTOCK 0.20
...PENNSYLVANIA...
HONEY BROOK 0.50
SPRING MOUNT 0.50
ERNEST 0.25
EXTON 0.25
HOMINY RIDGE 0.25
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM EST MON JAN
31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...
...CONNECTICUT...
ENFIELD 9.2
STAFFORD SPRINGS 8.7
SUFFIELD 8.4
SOUTH CANAAN 2 N 8.3
WEST HARTFORD 6.5
POMFRET 6.3
WATERBURY 5.0
MANSFIELD 4.0
...ILLINOIS...
SPRING GROVE 2N 20.8
MUNDELEIN 17.5
CHICAGO - OHARE AIRPORT 17.3
STREAMWOOD 16.5
DE KALB 15.7
ROMEOVILLE 14.4
YORKVILLE 12.0
BATAVIA 11.5
NAPERVILLE 10.6
KANAKEE 7.5
...INDIANA...
LITERS FORD 12.0
REMINGTON 10.4
NORTH WEBSTER 2 N 8.2
WARSAW 2 ENE 5.0
LIMA 4.5
MILLERSBURG 1 SW 4.0
...MASSACHUSETTS...
WEST SPRINGFIELD 13.5
SUDBURY 13.0
WARE 11.5
BOYLSTON 10.8
HEATH 10.5
METHUEN 9.8
RANDOLPH 9.8
BOSTON - LOGAN ARPT 9.7
BROCKTON 9.1
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 8.5
...MAINE...
CHERRYFIELD 4.0
NORWAY 1 ESE 3.8
LEWISTON 2 E 3.5
BRIDGTON 3.3
DURHAM 3.0
PORTLAND 3 WNW 2.6
DEER ISLE 3 N 2.0
...MICHIGAN...
CARO 10.7
FLUSHING 9.0
YALE 8.0
ORTONVILLE 7.5
NEW HAVEN 7.0
...NEW HAMPSHIRE...
WINCHESTER 8.5
HUDSON 7.3
NASHUA 7.0
EAST ALSTEAD 6.0
DERRY 3 E 5.5
GREENFIELD 5.0
GILFORD 3 S 4.0
SPRINGFIELD 1 NNW 4.0
EATON 3 SSW 3.0
...NEW JERSEY...
WANTAGE 5.0
GREEN POND 4.5
WEST MILFORD 4.0
...NEW YORK...
GREENVILLE 11.5
LATHAM 10.5
SCHENECTADY 9.6
CAROGA LAKE 9.5
KINDERHOOK 9.0
SARATOGA SPRINGS 8.0
MOUNT HOPE 7.8
WOODSTOCK 7.5
WELLS 5.5
ARMONK 3.8
...OHIO...
BEL MORE 4 NNE 6.5
VAN WERT 5.2
...PENNSYLVANIA...
SE STANFORDVILLE 5.5
POCONO SUMMIT 5.0
TOBYHANNA 4.4
MAHONING TWP 3.9
...RHODE ISLAND...
MANVILLE 7.7
WEST GLOCESTER 6.7
HARRISVILLE 6.3
SCITUATE 5.5
WARWICK 5.0
...VERMONT...
BENNINGTON 2 E 8.0
WOODFORD 7.0
GILFORD 5.2
SOUTH BURLINGTON 1 NE 4.9
...WISCONSIN...
KEWAUNEE 9.0
GERMANTOWN 6.9
PE LL LAKE 6.8
MOUNT HEREBY 6.2
HARTLAND 5.5
GREEN BAY 5.0
SATISFIED 4.5
DODGE VILLE 4.0
PALMYRA 4.0
WHITEWATER 4.0
MILWAUKEE 3.7
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT
HAS ENDED...
...ARKANSAS...
WINSLOW 0.25
...ILLINOIS...
MOSQUE 2 S 0.75
ELLIS GROVE 0.50
FLORA 0.50
NASHVILLE 0.50
NEWTON 0.40
LANE 0.30
MOUNT ZION 0.30
MUTTON 0.30
ROBINSON 7 NW 0.30
CASEY 0.25
CHARLESTON 0.25
EFFINGHAM 0.25
DANVILLE 0.20
...INDIANA...
INDIANAPOLIS 0.61
GREENS FORK 0.50
LIBERTY 0.50
GREENWOOD 0.30
JAMESTOWN 1 E 0.30
TERRIE HATE 0.30
BATESVILLE 0.25
BROOKVILLE 1 W 0.25
CENTERVILLE 0.25
...MISSOURI...
FORD LAND 4 S 0.25 5
HIGHLAND 3 E 0.10
MACON 0.10
...OHIO...
COLUMBUS 0.90
UNION 0.80
COSHOCTON 0.60
DAYTON 0.60
WEST POINT 0.60
GREENVILLE 0.50
OXFORD 0.50
SALEM 0.50
CINCINNATI 5 NW 0.40
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT HAS
ENDED...
...ARKANSAS...
BENTONVILLE 5.0
BELLA VISTA 4.0
...IOWA...
EDGEWOOD 8.0
CORYDON 7.0
MECHANICSVILLE 6 E 5.9
CEDAR RAPIDS 3 NNW 4.5
...KANSAS...
S FORT SCOTT 18.0
ALTA MONT 13.0
ERIE 5 NW 13.0
PARSONS 1 W 13.0
FREDONIA 11.0
ARKANSAS CITY 10.0
CANEY 10.0
GREELEY 10.0
HOWARD 10.0
RICHMOND 10.0
YATES CENTER 10.0 ESTIMATED
GARNETT 9.5
OTTAWA 8.5
WINFIELD 7.5
EL DORADO 7.0
TOPEKA 6 WSW 6.0
WICHITA 7.1 ESE 5.0
...MINNESOTA...
MORGAN 11.0
MARSHALL 0.6 S 10.0
BIRD ISLAND 9.0 NNE 7.0
MONTEVIDEO 0.4 SSW 5.3
MINNEAPOLIS 4.7
LAKEVILLE 4.4
FOREST LAKE 3.3
...MISSOURI...
NEW BLOOMFIELD 19.0
JEFFERSON CITY 18.3
COLUMBIA 12 N 18.0
APPLETON CITY 17.0
MEXICO 17.0
FULTON 2 SSE 16.0
ST. MARTINS 15.0
STOCKTON 15.0
MEADVILLE 14.0
NEMO 14.0
ASHLAND 7 NE 13.0
BROOKFIELD 13.0
CHILLICOTHE 12.5
...NEW MEXICO...
CLOUDCROFT 4.9 NE 5.2
ALBUQUERQUE 8.4 ENE 5.0
...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
OWASSO 1 W 19.0
AFTON 18.0
PAHASKA 2 S 17.0
TULSA 9 SE 15.0
VINITA 12.0
GLEN POOL 11.0
HENRYETTA 11.0
HOMINY 11.0
KANSAS 4 E 11.0
NOWATA 10.0
PRYOR 10.0
WAGONER 10.0
CLAREMORE 9.5
NORMAN 7 E 7.0
OKLAHOMA CITY 7.0
...TEXAS...
ABILENE 6.0
ROBY 6.0
ALBANY 5.0
BOONS VILLE 3 E 5.0
JACKBOOT 5.0
GRAFORD 8.1 ENE 4.5
DECATUR 4.0
FRIONA 4.0
As noted in the previous post, some areas of the Northeast U.S. have racked up impressive snowfall totals so far this winter, particularly in near-coastal portions of southern New England. Hartford, for example, set an all-time monthly snowfall record in January. Is this the harbinger of a cooling trend, as some alarmist ice-agers would claim? In fact, preliminary data for January from the National Climatic Data Center indicate that, for the U.S. as a whole, record high temperatures actually exceeded record low temperatures. 
As of January 29 (Saturday), meteorological winter was 2/3 over (30 days remaining until March 1). The seasonal snowfall amounts to date from the major East Coast National Weather Service reporting locations show that overall snowfall has been 83% above average across the region.