Chicago’s winter weather has moved into a decidely snowier phase. The area recorded Winter, 2004-05’s third-heaviest snowfall overnight, the final flurries of which could linger at some locations into Wednesday’s opening hours. By late Tuesday, snowfalls with the system had reached 4.5” at International Falls and 3.8” at Duluth, Minn. to Chicago’s northwest.
The snow comes on the heels of a cold January period—one of only 23 here over the last 135 years which have produced 15° or colder daytime highs over four consecutive days.
Tuesday marked the 10th day on which temps failed to reach 20°. By this time last year, only two such days had occurred. To our north, LaCrosse, Wisconsin recorded a morning low of -7°—-its 6th straight day with sub-zero temperatures there.
Record warmth made news Tuesday in the Pacific Northwest. In Oregon, temps reached 66° in Portland and 67° at Eugene.
-Tom Skilling
