The Chicago region is expected to see its first detectable snowfall, according to forecast models. While Monday is predicted to be moderate and dry, just after midnight snow showers are predicted to start in the south and move north.
Tuesday morning travelers may expect slippery roads by the time the sun comes up due to extensive snow showers that started around 5 a.m.
Those snow showers will mix with rain closer to Lake Michigan. A rain and snow mix is predicted for the Chicago area Tuesday night and into Wednesday, despite the possibility of some daytime lulls.
For the majority of the Chicago area, up to 1-2 inches in total are possible. Further north and in Northwest Indiana, where forecast models indicate up to 4 inches, those totals might rise.
Tuesday is expected to see just above-freezing temps. Similar weather with the potential for little accumulation is anticipated for Wednesday and Thursday. And things will only grow colder from there.
As the week progresses, temperatures are predicted to decrease, with Friday’s highs being predicted to be only in the mid-20s. The National Weather Service reports that Nov. 18 is typically when Chicago experiences its first measurable snowfall.
The first measurable snowfall of 2019 fell on October 30, making it the seventh-earliest measurable snowfall in Chicago since 1967. In recent years, O’Hare International Airport has experienced both extremes.
According to the National Weather Service, Chicago experienced its earliest measurable snowfall just last year. At O’Hare Airport, the snow didn’t start falling until December 28, when 1.5 inches of snow were measured.
When 0.3 inches of snow fell at O’Hare on October 12, 2006, it set the record for the earliest snowfall. See when the city experienced its first snowfall over the previous ten years, along with how much snow fell:
- 2012: Dec. 20, 0.2 inches
- 2013: Nov. 11, 0.4 inches
- 2014: Oct. 31, 0.1 inches
- 2015: Nov. 20, 4.2 inches
- 2016: Dec. 4, 6.4 inches
- 2017: Nov. 10, 0.1 inches
- 2018: Nov. 9, 1 inch
- 2019: Oct. 30, 1.2 inches
- 2020: Nov. 24, 0.7 inches
- 2021: Dec. 28, 1.5 inches
