February 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard: Chicago and the central US
1–3 February 2011 · Central and eastern US; the detail here is for the Chicago area
A powerful storm crossed the central United States at the start of February 2011. Chicago had its biggest February snowstorm on record, with thundersnow, winds over 60 mph and vehicles stranded on Lake Shore Drive.
What happened
- Chicago O'Hare measured 21.2 inches over three days, the third-largest snowstorm on record there and Chicago's biggest in February; 20.0 inches fell in 24 hours, a record. [2]
- Visibility at O'Hare was at or below a quarter of a mile for 11 consecutive hours; Midway had heavy thundersnow and blowing snow. [2]
- Wind gusted to 70 mph on the Chicago lakefront and 61 mph at O'Hare. [2]
- Rockford had 15.1 inches, its largest February snowstorm. [2]
Deaths
- 36 deaths in NCEI's billion-dollar disaster record ("Groundhog Day Blizzard"), across all affected states. [1]
- NWS Chicago states that eleven people died as a result of the storm. [2]
Official counts differ when they cover different areas or count only deaths caused directly by the weather. Both are shown; neither is adjusted here.
Power outages
The official summaries used here give no power outage count for this storm.
Cost
$1.8 billion at the time, or $2.6 billion adjusted for inflation by NCEI [1]. NCEI's record name: Groundhog Day Blizzard (February 2011).
States named in the sources used here: Illinois, Indiana.
Questions
When was the February 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard?
1–3 February 2011, across: Central and eastern US; the detail here is for the Chicago area.
How many people died?
36 deaths in NCEI's billion-dollar disaster record ("Groundhog Day Blizzard"), across all affected states. NWS Chicago states that eleven people died as a result of the storm.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, events 1980-2024
- NWS Chicago: "The Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011"
US government sources are public domain. Figures are quoted as the sources give them; this site has not added to or adjusted them.
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