Few heading to work on this date 40 years ago realized the storm through which they trudged would end up lasting 29 hours and producing wind gusts as high as 69 m.p.h.—becoming this city’s worst blizzard on record. By the time snow ended late the following morning, an estimated 20,000 vehicles, and 500 CTA buses had been abandoned on area expressways, unable to move in snow drifts piled 4-6 feet high. The crippling winter storm occurred only two days after a record 65° high—warmth which included the Chicago area’s only tornado watch to be issued in January.
Friday’s brief but impressive temperature surge is a far cry from the weather of January, 1967. Gusty winds above ground as the day opens mix down to the surface pushing temperatures within striking distance of 40°—the first above freezing reading here in 11 days and most likely the last we’ll see over the coming two weeks.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
