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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL  
711 PM CST THU JAN 29 2009  
   
...LONG STRETCH WITH DEEP SNOW PACK... 
  
THE WINTER OF 2008 AND 2009 CONTINUES TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKS OF   
STATISTICS WHICH CONFIRM THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN UNUSUALLY LONG...COLD   
AND SNOWY WINTER ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS.   
 
AS OF 6 PM THIS EVENING...CHICAGO HAS AN OFFICIAL SNOW DEPTH OF 7   
INCHES...AND ROCKFORD HAS AN OFFICIAL SNOW DEPTH OF 6 INCHES. THIS   
MEANS THAT BOTH LOCATIONS HAVE NOW HAD 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW ON   
THE GROUND FOR THE PAST 20 CONSECUTIVE DAYS...OR LONG ENOUGH TO MOVE   
INTO THE TOP 10 LONGEST STRETCHES FOR BOTH CITIES.  
 
THESE STREAKS MAY BE COMING TO AN END THIS WEEKEND HOWEVER...AS   
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR THE FREEZING MARK AND NO   
SIGNIFICANT MEASURABLE SNOW IS ANTICIPATED.   
 
IN CHICAGO...20 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF A SNOW DEPTH OF 6 INCHES OR   
GREATER IS NOW THE 9TH LONGEST STRETCH ON RECORD...AND THE LONGEST   
SINCE THE HISTORIC WINTERS OF 1978 AND 1979.  
 
HERE ARE THE TOP 20 LONGEST STREAKS OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A SNOW   
DEPTH OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER IN CHICAGO...   
 
SNOW DEPTH DATA FOR CHICAGO DATES BACK TO 1884.  
 
RANK   # OF  LAST DAY OF   
       DAYS    STRETCH  
  
  1     62     3/3/1979  
  2     42     3/8/1978  
  3     38    1/18/2001  
  4     38    2/12/1918  
  5     33    2/28/1967  
  6     22    1/25/1910  
  7     22    2/24/1901  
  8     22    2/16/1895  
  9     19    1/21/1999  
 10     19     2/2/1885  
 11     17   12/30/1951  
 12     16    2/20/1985  
 13     16     2/4/1963  
 14     16    2/24/1885  
 15     15    1/29/1962  
 16     15    1/27/1945  
 17     15    2/20/1914  
 18     12    1/28/1985  
 19     12    2/17/1905  
 20     11    2/22/1896  
 
IN ROCKFORD...THE PRECEDING 20 DAY STRETCH OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF   
SNOW ON THE GROUND CREATES A TIE FOR TENTH PLACE...AND IS THE   
LONGEST STRETCH OF DEEP SNOW COVER OF 6 INCHES OR MORE SINCE   
FEBRUARY 1994.  
 
HERE ARE THE TOP 20 LONGEST STRETCHES OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH SNOW   
DEPTH OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER IN ROCKFORD...  
 
SNOW DEPTH DATA FOR ROCKFORD DATES TO 1906.  
 
RANK   # OF  LAST DAY OF   
       DAYS    STRETCH  
 
  1     77    3/17/1979  
  2     52    2/21/1985  
  3     49    3/10/1978  
  4     42    3/22/1960  
  5     37    1/28/1970  
  6     33    2/22/1959  
  7     31    2/21/1958  
  8     27     2/8/1982  
  9     22     2/4/1929  
 10     20    2/18/1994  
 11     20    1/26/1962  
 12     18   12/29/2000  
 13     18    1/31/1940  
 14     17    2/22/2008  
 15     17    1/16/2001  
 16     16    2/10/1951  
 17     15    1/12/1988  
 18     15    1/27/1966  
 19     14    1/16/1986  
 20     13   12/29/1951