Chicagoans got a sneak preview of upcoming winter Sunday afternoon as strong
west-northwest winds swept remaining leaves off trees and brought a late-autumn
chill into the area. Early afternoon readings that peaked in the middle and upper 50s
had dropped into the 30s by evening after an afternoon that featured rain, snow
showers and some small hail. Highest wind gusts were clocked at 61 m.p.h. at West
Chicago, Gary and the Harrison-Dever Crib. Sunday's winds produced scattered tree
damage and power outages throughout the city and suburbs.
Several locations reported snow pellets Sunday afternoon including the official O'Hare
site, marking the start of the 2008-09 snow season five days ahead of schedule.
FREEZE TO END GROWING SEASON; SHARP WARM-UP TO FOLLOW
Frosts have occurred in scattered inland areas already this fall, but this vigorous cold
snap should bring widespread subfreezing temperatures to many inland areas this
morning and to much of the region tonight with the possible exception of the
immediate lakeshore. Southwest winds return by Wednesday, sending the mercury back
to the 60s by Thursday and Halloween.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
