Politics & Government
How Much Snow Did We Get? Depends on Who You Ask
There's a wide range of reports in just a few miles' space.
Call me crazy, but I get the feeling that snowfall measurement isn't an exact science.
I'm saying that because the snowfall totals for Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles are so far apart you'd think they were in different parts of the state—or maybe different states altogether.
The National Oceanic Administration's National Weather Service—as of 8 a.m. Jan. 13—has the snowfall totals as follows:
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- St. Charles—6.1 inches
- Batavia—4.3 inches
- Geneva—3.1 inches
Now, last I checked, Geneva is between St. Charles and Batavia and shares a long east-west border with each. We live in Geneva, and if I walk our dog, AJ, one block to the north, we are in the wilds of St. Charles ... where there is, appparently, 3 more inches of snow.
Aurora had 6.0 inches, Elgin 6.1.
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The range in the Chicago area was 8.2 (Lincolnwood) to 2.0 (Rochelle).
As of 8:20 a.m., CBS Chicago has posted ... the same numbers as the NOA. (Welcome to the Internet.)
The Chicago Tribune played it safe and said "between 4 to 8 inches were reported throughout the Chicago area."
Based on my scientific examination of our sidewalk and the Rick Backache Ratio (RBR), I'd say we got about 5 inches of snow.
That's about as accurate as any, I think.
NOA Numbers
- LINCOLNWOOD (COOK) 8.2 inches
- NEW LENOX (WILL) 8.0 inches
- PEOTONE (WILL) 7.1 inches
- OAK PARK (COOK) 7.0 inches
- JOLIET LOCK/DAM (WILL) 7.0 inches
- YORKVILLE (KENDALL) 6.5 inches
- PARK FOREST (COOK) 6.5 inches
- HEGEWISCH (CHICAGO) 6.2 inches
- ROMEOVILLE (WILL) 6.2 inches
- YORKVILLE (KENDALL) 6.2 inches
- ELGIN (KANE) 6.1 inches
- ST. CHARLES (KANE) 6.1 inches
- AURORA (KANE) 6.0 inches
- ELBURN (KANE) 6.0 inches
- HARVARD (MCHENRY) 6.0 inches
- CHICAGO (COOK) 6.0 inches
- WATSEKA (IROQUOIS) 6.0 inches
- ALGONQUIN (MCHENRY). 6.0 inches
- MIDWAY (COOK) 6.0 inches
- SHIRLAND (WINNEBAGO) 6.0 inches
- NEWARK (KENDALL). 5.9 inches
- ORKVILLE (KENDALL) 5.5 inches
- MUNDELEIN (LAKE) 5.5 inches
- ST CHARLES (KANE) 5.5 inches
- WOODSTOCK (LAKE). 5.5 inches
- ELK GROVE VILLAGE (COOK) 5.3 inches
- DWIGHT (LIVINGSTON) 5.0 inches
- ORLAND HILLS (COOK) 5.0 inches
- SUGAR GROVE (KANE) 5.0 inches
- WAUKEGAN (LAKE) 5.0 inches
- SPRING GROVE (MCHENRY) 5.0 inches
- STREATOR (LIVINGSTON) 5.0 inches
- WAUCONDA (LAKE) 5.0 inches
- WINFIELD (DU PAGE) 5.0 inches
- ROSCOE (WINNEBAGO) 4.9 inches
- OHARE (COOK) 4.9 inches
- ROSCOE(WINNEBAGO) 4.9 inches
- INVERNESS(COOK) 4.8 inches
- CHICAGO RIDGE (COOK) 4.8 inches
- WESTMONT(DU PAGE) 4.8 inches
- NORTH AURORA(KANE) 4.8 inches
- BEACH PARK(LAKE). 4.8 inches
- ROCKFORD (WINNEBAGO) 4.8 inches
- HAWTHORN WOODS 1N (LAKE) 4.7 inches
- OAK BROOK (DU PAGE) 4.7 inches
- CHANNAHON (WILL) 4.6 inches
- HERSCHER (KANKAKEE) 4.6 inches
- DE KALB (DE KALB) 4.5 inches
- HOFFMAN ESTATES (COOK) 4.5 inches
- WATSEKA (IROQUOIS) 4.5 inches
- ELGIN (KANE) 4.4 inches
- EARLVILLE (LA SALLE) 4.4 inches
- BATAVIA (KANE) 4.3 inches
- LAKE VILLA (LAKE) 4.1 inches
- BARRINGTON (LAKE). 4.0 inches
- CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON) 4.0 inches
- ROCKFORD (WINNEBAGO) 4.0 inches
- MENDOTA (LA SALLE) 4.0 inches
- BOURBONNAIS (KANKAKEE) 3.8 inches
- KANKAKEE (KANKAKEE) 3.8 inches
- MILFORD (IROQUOIS) 3.6 inches
- PERU (LA SALLE). 3.5 inches
- MARSEILLES (LA SALLE) 3.3 inches
- GENEVA (KANE) 3.2 inches
- AMBOY (LEE) 3.0 inches
- LAKEMOOR (LAKE). 3.0 inches
- PAXTON (FORD) 2.9 inches
- ASHTON (LEE) 2.8 inches
- ROCHELLE (OGLE) 2.0 inches
