Colder, snowier weather’s never hit earlier

It’s got to really snow for it to accumulate when soil temperatures hover near 54° as they did Thursday. Whiteout conditions were reported for brief periods Thursday morning and early afternoon, a testament to the intensity of the snowfall. Flurries have reached Chicago earlier on ten occasions since 1885. But, never in 121 years of official observations has measurable snowfall occurred earlier in the city. Thursday’s 0.3" at both Midway and O’Hare beat by 6 days the previous record for earliest measurable snow here—Oct. 18 in both 1972 and 1989. It also preceded by more than a month, Nov. 16, the average date on which measurable snow first typically occurs here. Thursday’s 39° at O’Hare and 41° at Midway were the coldest readings ever so early in the season at each site.
A chill of Thursday’s intensity rarely lingers this early. It’s likely to be nearly two months before daytime temps as cold as Thursday’s 39° high dominate.