Dear Tom,
When is it safe to take the snow tires off my car?
Dr. Calvin Brown Jr. Chicago
Dear Doctor Brown,
A good rule of thumb for Chicagoans to follow is to wait until about April 15 before letting their “snow guard” down. Though, measurable snow has occurred in the city as late as May 11, 1966 when .2″ fell, in general, the odds of a significant snowfall after April 15 are quite low. Even if snow does occur after that date, the combination of a strong sun and warm ground will cause it to melt quickly. Since city snow records began in the winter of 1884-85 only two late April snows stand out as being troublesome. In 1961, nearly 7 inches of snow whitened the city on April 15 and 16, and on April 23, 1967 just two days after the tragic Oak Lawn tornado, 3.1 inches of snow fell. The city’s last measurable late April snow was a meager .3″ on April 16, 2001.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
