When can the Chicago area see the first snowflakes? The answer may come just in time for the start of the holiday season.
According to the National Weather Service, Chicago typically sees its first trace of snow, defined as less than a tenth of an inch of snow, by October 31. The same data also showed that the city typically sees its first measurable snowfall, defined as any amount. of snow of a tenth of an inch or more, by November 18.
This year, the city has not witnessed any of these events yet, until November 15.
However, it is not unexpected, as forecasts have shown that the region’s temperatures are above average for this time of year, and are likely to remain so.
The Climate Prediction Center’s latest models show there is a “70 to 80 percent chance that the city, along with the rest of Illinois, will see above-average temperatures from November 14-22.”
However, the first snowflakes could appear on the horizon soon, but it will all depend on how the wet system is set up.
Starting Monday night, an active weather pattern will arrive, bringing rain through Tuesday morning, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said this week. Monday and Tuesday are likely to see warmer temperatures before a significant drop by Thursday, with the chance of the first temperatures of the season emerging, she said.
According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Isha Scott, there is a possibility that some snow will mix with the rain Wednesday night and into Thursday, but “it depends on how much moisture is left as the cold air moves in.”
However, as of Friday, the system appeared to be moving more toward rain, and Scott said even if there are some snowflakes, there won’t be many.
By the end of the next 10 days, temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 30s and lower 40s.
For those curious, the last snowfall in Chicago without a trace to start the season was December 5, 1999. The first measurable snowfall of the year occurred in December 2021, when the city did not see a tenth of the snowfall. An inch or more of snow until three days after Christmas.
