Winthrop Harbor recorded 15 inches of snow, which officials say they “haven’t seen snow like this in years,” after intense lake effect snow hit eastern Lake County Sunday into Monday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter storm warning for Lake County early Sunday afternoon that went into effect at 9 p.m. Sunday and expired on 9 a.m. Monday.
The warning said that dangerous to impossible travel conditions would develop across parts of Lake County due to intense lake effect snow.
Snow rates in excess of three inches per hour and localized snow accumulations in excess of 10 inches were possible, the NWS said.
Forecasters also warned of northerly wind gusts in excess of 30 mph.
The NWS reported that Winthrop Harbor had 10 inches of snowfall accumulation at 6 a.m. Monday but more snow continued falling after and several residents reported measurements ranging from 10-15.5 inches.
Village officials called it an “incredible snowfall” and said they “haven’t seen snow like this in years.”
“Huge thanks to our Public Works Director Tim Neargarder and his team for hitting the streets early and keeping our roads clear,” the village said.
Gurnee reported five inches of snowfall as of 7 a.m., 6.5 inches of snow was reported south of Wadsworth around 8:30 a.m., 5.1 inches was reported north of Mundelein around 8 a.m. and 2.6 inches of snow was reported north of Buffalo Grove around 7 a.m.
The strong wind gusts led to greatly reduced visibility, especially near the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The impacted travel conditions on roadways in the county resulted in numerous vehicle crashes during the overnight hours into the morning.
A two-vehicle crash on Grand Avenue west of Dilleys Road in Gurnee led to multiple people being injured, some with serious injuries, around 9 p.m. Sunday.
Multiple crashes were reported on Interstate 94 throughout the county.
A crash on Route 45 north of Route 60 in Mundelein led to an electric pole and power lines coming down, resulting in an extended road closure.
Multiple non-injury crashes were also reported throughout the county. A rollover crash occurred at Route 60 and Route 41 in Lake Forest.
A three-vehicle crash at Old McHenry Road and Echo Lake Road in Hawthorn Woods around 9:15 p.m. Sunday led to two ambulances being called to the scene.
A three-vehicle crash was reported later around 11:30 p.m. on Route 12 north of Old Rand Road in Lake Zurich. A pickup truck left the roadway and the northbound lanes were shut down, with two ambulances being dispatched to the scene.
The highest snow totals from the lake effect snow impacted Lake County occurred near and east of Interstate 94, with considerably less snow on the western side of the county.
While some parts of the county received 15 inches of snow, other areas of the county, including Fox Lake, saw no snow accumulation at all.
“Lake effect snow is often very localized, with conditions varying from safe to dangerous across just a few miles,” the NWS said.
The weather service said just after 7 a.m. Monday that lake effect snow would begin to shift southeastward across most of the Chicago area, especially across Lake and Cook counties.
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50, Gurnee School District 56 and Zion Elementary School District 6 announced they were closed on Monday due to the snow.
North Shore School District 112 and Township High School District 113 both announced delayed starts due to the snow.
Snowplow trucks worked throughout the county to clear the roads on Monday morning into the afternoon.
“What a night. What a day. The roads are cleaning nicely in the daylight! With so much snow along the lake, we transitioned our plow trucks from their west routes that had less snow to help out in eastern Lake County,” the Lake County Division of Transportation said.
“It’s been quite the effort, and we’re thankful for all the support and patience we’ve seen from all of you. This was officially the first snow of the season, and we’re ready for what the winter throws at us next, which in Lake County means more snow, ice, cold and wind!” the Division of Transportation added.
The Waukegan Public Works said on Monday afternoon that cleanup continued as crews cleared neighborhoods and side streets.
“Thank you to everyone for your patience, especially those helping to clear sidewalks for pedestrians, and to those giving our plows space to work. It’s greatly appreciated,” Waukegan Public Works said.
Officials recommended residents get ready for winter by having snow scrapers, shovels and salt on hand.
“While temperatures may rise later this week, snow will return eventually, often when we least expect it. Staying prepared is always the best plan,” Waukegan Public Works said.