Overview
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During the afternoon and evening of Saturday, March 5th, a strong early spring low pressure system tracked through the Midwest. Storms developed during the afternoon in Iowa and produced multiple tornadoes before eventually merging into a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) that moved eastward into northern Illinois by mid-evening. Multiple wind gusts of 70 mph or greater were noted across the NWS Chicago county warning area as this line of storms moved through, and even an 81 mph gust was observed at Rockford Airport. In addition to the storms, the low pressure system was also responsible for producing non-thunderstorm wind gusts in excess of 50 mph in some locations both before and after the line of storms rolled through the area. |
 Event Summary Graphic |
Storm Reports
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| Map & List of Severe Thunderstorm Reports |
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
818 AM CST MON MAR 7 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0944 PM TSTM WND GST 2 WNW DIXON 41.86N 89.52W
03/05/2022 M52 MPH LEE IL EMERGENCY MNGR
POWER FAILED AT TIME OF OBSERVATION.
0945 PM TSTM WND DMG DIXON 41.84N 89.48W
03/05/2022 LEE IL PUBLIC
PHOTO SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF PART OF A
FENCE BLOWN DOWN.
0948 PM TSTM WND GST 3 ESE DIXON 41.83N 89.43W
03/05/2022 M66 MPH LEE IL MESONET
MESONET STATION UP060 DIXON 3 ESE (UP RAIL).
1006 PM TSTM WND DMG ROCKFORD 42.27N 89.09W
03/05/2022 WINNEBAGO IL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN ROCKFORD,
ALONG WITH A FEW FULL TREES. DAMAGE WAS DESCRIBED AS
SCATTERED.
1006 PM TSTM WND GST ROCKFORD AIRPORT 42.20N 89.10W
03/05/2022 M81 MPH WINNEBAGO IL ASOS
KRFD ASOS PEAK GUST.
1011 PM TSTM WND DMG MACHESNEY PARK 42.35N 89.04W
03/05/2022 WINNEBAGO IL PUBLIC
PHOTO SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF A TREE BLOWN DOWN,
PARTIALLY ON A HOUSE.
1022 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 NNW BELVIDERE 42.27N 88.85W
03/05/2022 BOONE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE SNAPPED IN HALF. TIME ESTIMATED FROM
RADAR.
1025 PM TSTM WND GST 5 NW MARENGO 42.31N 88.66W
03/05/2022 M66 MPH MCHENRY IL MESONET
MESONET STATION IMC02 MARENGO 5 NW (MCHENRY
DOT).
1025 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 E GENOA 42.10N 88.63W
03/05/2022 DE KALB IL TRAINED SPOTTER
SEMI TRUCK BLOWN OVER ON ROUTE 72 EAST OF
GENOA. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1033 PM HAIL 1 ESE EARLVILLE 41.58N 88.91W
03/05/2022 U0.50 INCH LA SALLE IL PUBLIC
HALF-INCH HAIL REPORT FROM MPING.
1035 PM TSTM WND GST 2 NW PERU 41.35N 89.15W
03/05/2022 M64 MPH LA SALLE IL AWOS
KVYS AWOS PEAK GUST.
1035 PM TSTM WND GST HARVARD 42.42N 88.62W
03/05/2022 M70 MPH MCHENRY IL MESONET
PEAK GUST FROM WEATHERBUG STATION IN
HARVARD.
1036 PM TSTM WND DMG OGLESBY 41.30N 89.05W
03/05/2022 LA SALLE IL BROADCAST MEDIA
UTILITY POLES WERE DAMAGED NEAR WALNUT
STREET AND PORTLAND AVENUE.
1044 PM TSTM WND DMG ALGONQUIN 42.16N 88.30W
03/05/2022 MCHENRY IL PUBLIC
8-INCH DIAMETER TREE LIMB DOWNED. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1045 PM TSTM WND GST 2 S CRYSTAL LAKE 42.21N 88.32W
03/05/2022 M59 MPH MCHENRY IL MESONET
MESONET STATION IMC03 CRYSTAL LAKE (MCHENRY
DOT).
1045 PM TSTM WND GST 1 WNW SUGAR GROVE 41.77N 88.47W
03/05/2022 M72 MPH KANE IL ASOS
KARR ASOS PEAK GUST.
1054 PM TSTM WND DMG PISTAKEE HIGHLANDS 42.41N 88.21W
03/05/2022 MCHENRY IL PUBLIC
TWO TREES DOWNED, ONE ONTO A SHED. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1055 PM TSTM WND GST DUPAGE AIRPORT 41.91N 88.26W
03/05/2022 M71 MPH DUPAGE IL ASOS
KDPA ASOS PEAK GUST.
1057 PM HAIL 1 ESE BATAVIA 41.84N 88.29W
03/05/2022 E0.70 INCH KANE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL ESTIMATED.
1100 PM TSTM WND GST ANTIOCH 42.48N 88.10W
03/05/2022 M60 MPH LAKE IL MESONET
MEASURED ON PERSONAL WEATHER STATION.
1105 PM TSTM WND DMG STREAMWOOD 42.02N 88.17W
03/05/2022 COOK IL PUBLIC
MULTIPLE TREES UPROOTED IN STREAMWOOD. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1107 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 W SCHAUMBURG 42.02N 88.12W
03/05/2022 COOK IL NWS EMPLOYEE
TREE UPROOTED AND SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS
DOWNED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1111 PM TSTM WND GST 2 SE WHEELING 42.12N 87.90W
03/05/2022 M58 MPH COOK IL ASOS
KPWK ASOS PEAK GUST.
1112 PM TSTM WND GST 1 SW BEACH PARK 42.42N 87.87W
03/05/2022 M62 MPH LAKE IL ASOS
KUGN ASOS PEAK GUST.
1113 PM TSTM WND GST CHICAGO - O'HARE AIRPOR 41.98N 87.90W
03/05/2022 M66 MPH COOK IL ASOS
KORD ASOS PEAK GUST.
1114 PM TSTM WND GST ELK GROVE VILLAGE 42.00N 88.01W
03/05/2022 E60 MPH COOK IL TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED 50-60 MPH WIND GUSTS IN ELK GROVE
VILLAGE.
1117 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 NNW DUNNING - CHICAGO 41.95N 87.81W
03/05/2022 COOK IL PUBLIC
PHOTO SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWING PART OF
AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ROOF PEELED BACK. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1120 PM TSTM WND DMG MORTON GROVE 42.04N 87.78W
03/05/2022 COOK IL BROADCAST MEDIA
LARGE TREE LIMB DOWNED ONTO ROAD. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1121 PM TSTM WND GST HIGHWOOD 42.20N 87.81W
03/05/2022 E60 MPH LAKE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND GUST.
1122 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N PORTAGE PARK - CHIC 41.97N 87.76W
03/05/2022 COOK IL TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREE LIMB DOWNED. TIME ESTIMATED BY
RADAR.
1126 PM TSTM WND GST MIDWAY AIRPORT 41.79N 87.75W
03/05/2022 M60 MPH COOK IL ASOS
KMDW ASOS PEAK GUST.
1132 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 1 NE MONTROSE HARBOR 41.97N 87.63W
03/05/2022 M62 MPH LMZ741 IL MESONET
MESONET STATION XMTB MONTROSE BEACH LIGHT.
1134 PM MARINE TSTM WIND HARRISON-DEVER CRIB 41.92N 87.57W
03/05/2022 M61 MPH LMZ741 IL C-MAN STATION
PEAK GUST AT HARRISON-DEVER CRIB.
1200 AM TSTM WND GST PEOTONE 41.33N 87.79W
03/06/2022 M53 MPH WILL IL MESONET
MESONET STATION CW7762 PEOTONE.
1237 AM TSTM WND GST 3 NNE OXFORD 40.56N 87.22W
03/06/2022 M56 MPH BENTON IN MESONET
PEAK GUST VIA DAVIS WEATHER STATION.
1239 AM TSTM WND GST 1 SE KENTLAND 40.76N 87.43W
03/06/2022 M61 MPH NEWTON IN MESONET
PEAK GUST AT KENTLAND AIRPORT.
1245 AM TSTM WND GST 4 NNW OTTERBEIN 40.55N 87.13W
03/06/2022 M59 MPH BENTON IN MESONET
PEAK GUST VIA DAVIS WEATHER STATION.
Non-Thunderstorm Wind Gusts
Below is a sampling of peak wind gusts from the evening and overnight hours of March 5th into March 6th that were observed outside of any thunderstorms. Location Peak Gust Source Rockford Airport.............................63 mph ASOS Deerfield....................................63 mph Mesonet Harrison-Dever Crib..........................62 mph C-Man Station East Chicago.................................58 mph Mesonet Michigan City Lighthouse.....................57 mph C-Man Station Calumet Harbor...............................56 mph Buoy Herbert 5 ENE................................56 mph Mesonet Midway Airport 3 SW..........................56 mph COOP Observer Waukegan Airport.............................55 mph ASOS Aurora Municipal Airport (Sugar Grove).......55 mph ASOS Chicago - Midway Airport.....................54 mph ASOS Valparaiso Airport...........................53 mph ASOS Chicago Executive Airport (Wheeling).........52 mph ASOS Chicago - O'Hare Airport.....................51 mph ASOS DuPage Airport (West Chicago)................51 mph ASOS Homer Glen...................................51 mph Trained Spotter Sycamore.....................................49 mph Mesonet McHenry......................................49 mph Mesonet Harvard 4 NW.................................48 mph Mesonet DeKalb Airport...............................47 mph AWOS Crown Point..................................47 mph Mesonet Elmhurst.....................................46 mph Mesonet Lansing Airport..............................45 mph AWOS Lewis University Airport (Romeoville)........45 mph AWOS Palatine.....................................45 mph Mesonet
Radar
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| Click here for an interactive version of this radar loop (courtesy of the Iowa Environmental Mesonet) |
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| A 10:07 P.M. radar image of base reflectivity (left) and base velocity (right). The radar is sampling at this lowest angle about 7,000-8,000 ft above ground layer over the Rockford area, where an 81 mph measured gust occurred at the Airport with the storms at this time. Note the quasi-linear look to the well-organized storms in the reflectivity, as well as pockets of lower reflectivity (drying/descending motion) in the immediate wake of this front line. These are all signatures of high thunderstorm wind speeds. Indeed, the velocity shows high speeds of over 50 kt (58 mph) that are inbound toward the radar. |
Environment
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| This surface analysis from the early evening of Saturday, March 5, depicts a classic signature for severe weather, especially in Iowa, but that also extended into northern Illinois. The deep low pressure, around 997 mb at this time, was deepening as it moved northeast. This track and trend in the low pressure also resulted in gusty southerly winds ahead of the low drawing low-level moisture northward. These winds remained gusty after dark into the evening and continued to keep the air both warm and moist. This limited any "capping" of the atmosphere that can commonly occur after dark, and allowed the well-organized storms ahead of the cold front tracking out of Iowa later that evening to continue a severe wind threat into and across northern Illinois. |
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| This is a weather balloon plot, or sounding, from the NWS Quad Cities office from 6 PM CST on the evening of March 5th. This shows a highly anomalous moist atmosphere for early March, with precipitable water (PW) values of 1.17 inches being around record high for the time of year. The moist and warm plot in the low-levels provided instability from the surface, meaning that air parcels would rise from the surface. This sounding also showed a lack of a strong "cap" to suppress thunderstorm development. All this indicated a likelihood of severe winds with an organized thunderstorm complex, as well as a non-zero tornado threat, continuing into northern Illinois, especially considering the very high values of low-level shear and storm-relative helicity (SRH). |
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| Because of the environment as shown above, and existing severe storms in Iowa, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued by the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) around 8:35 P.M. CST for northwest and north central Illinois, including parts of the western Chicago metro. This Watch would later be locally expanded to include the rest of the metro as storms continued east. The main threat of the storms was evolving from tornadoes in Iowa to more of a severe wind threat into northern Illinois, based on the storm mode being more quasi-linear than supercellular by that point in the evening. |
Additional Info
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Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. Additional recaps can be found on the NWS Chicago Past Events Page |
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