Dear Tom,
What are the earliest and latest dates that Chicago has received its first measurable snowfall of the season?
Mary Ann Wasserman, Skokie
Dear Mary Ann,
In a typical year, the Chicago area will see the season’s first snowflakes around Halloween (Oct. 30 is the average date) and record its first measurable snowfall in mid-November (Nov. 16). However, just last year the Chicago area was hit by the earliest measurable snowfall in its history when 0.3″ was officially measured at O’Hare on Oct. 12. Some areas that day received more than an inch of snow that covered the ground and coated the still-colorful autumn landscape with a blanket of white. As far as the year with the most delayed first measurable snow, that took place 42 years ago when 0.3″ fell on Dec. 16, 1965, nearly a full month after the first flurries fell on Nov. 18.
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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.
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
