Cold air has thoroughly dominated the past month with 23 of the past 26 days posting below normal temperatures. It's little wonder more snow has fallen in December's opening 11 days than normally falls the entire month at O'Hare International Airport. South suburban areas have been spared a good deal of the heaviest snowfall. But from Chicago to the north and west, snowfall this season is running at nearly twice the normal pace: 9 inches to date at O'Hare versus 5.2 inches. Just 7 inches had fallen at the site by the same time last season. A review of the 19 snow seasons with comparably heavy seasonal snow tallies by now indicates full season snow tallies finished an average of 34 percent heavier than the long-term average -- 48.9 inches versus the 36.6 inches.
HOUSTON RESIDENTS MARVEL AT A RARE SNOW -- THE FIRST IN 4 YEARS
On Wednesday afternoon and evening, Houston was seeing snow -- an infrequent visitor even in winter. It's the first time snow has fallen there in 4 years. Residents had to be surprised at the issuance of a winter weather advisory as temperatures dropped to freezing, causing icy patches on area bridges and overpasses.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
