Not since 1976—a period of more than three decades—has Chicago’s official temperature dropped to 0° so early in a cold season. For five minutes beginning at 4:04 a.m. Thursday morning, Chicago’s official temperature bottomed out at 0°—a reading which tied the 1972 record for December 6. The frigid benchmark isn’t typically reached here for another three weeks and didn’t occur for another two months a year ago. The first 0° waited until a -6° low was recorded Feb. 3 earlier this year. The combination of clear skies, dry air, a fresh snow cover and light winds was behind the sub-zero readings which occurred at a number of west and NW suburban locations early Thursday.
The week’s third snow, part of a system which left up to 4.5” on the ground in Iowa, arrived in a weakening state Thursday evening. The 3-5 hour snowfall was predicted to deposit 1-2” in the Chicago and end well before sun-up Friday.
--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.
