Rainfall record broken Thursday around Chicago & NE Illinois
FOX 32 NEWS - A slow moving low pressure system tracked from eastern Kansas at midnight on March 30 across central Illinois during the afternoon.
Throughout that time, the system steered high atmospheric moisture northward over northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Multiple disturbances aloft in combination with this anomalous early spring moisture produced lift for periods of concentrated rain and embedded thunderstorms, which produced heavy rainfall rates.
Total rainfall amounts of 1.50" to 3.00" were common. The rainfall brought quick rises on all area streams and rivers, some of which reached flood level, and also brought standing water in fields and some flood prone locations.
Total Rainfall Through 7 a.m. March 31: Chicago (O'Hare): 1.97" and Rockford: 1.67"
-For Chicago (O'Hare), a daily record rainfall was set on Thursday March 30th, with 1.84" during the calendar day.
-This broke the old daily record of 1.36" set in 1949.
-This was the most precipitation in a March calendar day since March 19, 1948 (2.50")!
-This was the 4th highest calendar day precipitation total in March on record (since 1871).
- This was the most precipitation on any calendar day since September 18, 2015 (2.41").
- For Rockford, Illinois a daily record rainfall was also set on Thursday March 30th, with 1.47" during the calendar day.
- This broke the old daily record of 0.99" set in 1960.
- This was the most precipitation in a March calendar day since 1.67" on March 20, 2011.
For complete list of the rainfall totals from late Wednesday through Thursday March 30th: CLICK HERE