Tracey Surface provides us this photo of Tuesday afternoon’s snow as it swept into Montrose Harbor earlier this afternoon. Many thanks Tracey! By late evening (5:30 p.m.), Chicago area snow tallies have reached the 2-5” range—including 2” at O’Hare, 3” at Downers Grove and our meteorological colleague Steve Kahn reports 4” is down at Arlington Heights. Chicago’s Midway Airport—where the mid-afternoon 2007-08 seasonal tally has risen to 49.7” (14.7” of it having falling in February alone)—is likely to have played host to a total of 50+” before the evening ends, says veteran Midway and Chicago weather observer Frank Wachowski. Frank also reports this snow, because of the cold temperatures in which it has formed and fallen, has a 22 to 1 snow to water ratio—indicating this snow has more than twice the volume of conventional snow here.
Radar (at 5:45 p.m.) is indicating a band of snow is approaching from the west—snow likely to be reinforced by lake moisture riding NE winds. So the snow’s not done as of this posting—but will end later tonight. It’s not the last snow likely to occur here in the coming week. Though glorious (and welcome) sunshine is due Wednesday—more snow is predicted Thursday (Valentine’s Day) night. The area’s lack of February sun is running at record levels. Only 12% of Chicago’s possible sun has occurred—February’s “normal” tally is 46%.
More on WGN-TV’s Nine O’Clock News Tuesday evening, on our wgntv.com “weather blog” and in Wednesday’s Chicago Tribune.
Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photo courtesy: Tracey Surface, Chicago
