Dear Tom,
With all the snow that’s fallen, it seems like we’ve had snow cover most of this winter. Are we approaching a record?
— Charlie Graham
Dear Charlie,
Defining a day with snow cover as one with at least 1 inch of snow on the ground, Midway Airport weather observer Frank Wachowski informed us that the city’s long-term average (back to 1928-29) for snow cover each winter is 43 days.
It should come as no surprise that this winter has already surpassed that figure, with 54 days on the books through Feb. 18.
But that is barely half the record 100 consecutive days that this city endured during the legendary winter of 1978-79, when snow continuously covered the ground from Nov. 26 through March 5. During that period, the city measured its deepest snow cover on record: a staggering 29 inches on Jan. 14.
In stark contrast, only eight days of snow cover were logged during the entire winter of 1948-49.
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Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or: asktomwhy@wgntv.com
Weather Report is prepared by the WGN-TV Weather Center, where Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at noon and 9 p.m.
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