A lake effect snowfall — the first of the season — dropped anywhere from 2.6 to 10 inches across Lake County Sunday night into Monday morning because of an unusual confluence of air and water temperatures.
Zachary Yack, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the combination of cold air temperatures for mid-autumn of 25 degrees overnight, and warm Lake Michigan water temperatures of between 48 and 50 degrees, played a role in the weather conditions.
“It was very localized based on the instability coming off Lake Michigan,” Yack said. “The snow amount varied over distances. Depending on the size of the band. It could be as much as 10 inches in one place, and less than five inches a few miles away.”
Along with the variety of snowfall in different parts of the county, there were 25 vehicle crashes — including at least one fatal accident — and snow removal crews in a variety of municipalities worked through the night to clear the roads.
Winthrop Harbor, located on the Wisconsin state line, had the most snow in the county at 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service, while 2.6 inches fell on Buffalo Grove. In one part of Mundelein, there were five inches, while at another location in the village, only 3.5 inches fell.
Waukegan had different amounts of snow within its city limits. Public Works Director Chris Garland said as of. Monday morning, there was as much as eight inches near Lake Michigan and as little as five inches farther west.
Next to Waukegan in Gurnee, five inches of snow was reported, according to the National Weather Service, and north of Waukegan in Wadsworth, there was 6.5 inches. With two reporting stations in Mundelein, one reported 5 inches and another 3.5 inches.
Though unusual, Yack said a large snowfall with significantly more in one place and little nearby is not “terribly uncommon.” Temperatures in the 20s moving into the area, chilling the air but not Lake Michigan, create unusual conditions.
“What made this one unique is we had such cold air move into the region and warm lake water,” he said. “The warmer the lake, the more unstable conditions can form, creating a variety of lake effect snow bands.”
Chris Covelli, a deputy chief with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, said the sheriff’s police responded to 25 weather-related calls, including crashes, spin-outs and cars in ditches.
Among the traffic incidents, an Evanston woman was killed and three people were injured when an SUV struck the car she was driving on Grand Avenue in Gurnee. The accident was likely weather-related, authorities said.
Garland said Waukegan’s “snow fighters” went to work at 2 a.m. Monday, as 36 public works vehicles began removing snow, first from the city’s main roads and then secondary streets and alleyways. By Monday afternoon, crews were clearing downtown sidewalks and parking lots.
David Motley, Waukegan’s director of public relations, said residents should be mindful of winter parking restrictions.
Alex Carr, a deputy communications officer for Lake County, said county crews were prepared and spent the overnight hours clearing the roads. When November begins, so does the snow and ice season,” he said.
“We’re ready all the time,” Carr said. “We had full crews ready, and they went out there. It’s expected to warm up this week, and hopefully it will melt away.”
