Dear Tom,
Right after a March 22 high near 80 degrees at Rapid City, S.D., a blizzard brought up to
30 inches of snow. What is the warmest Chicago has been before a major snow?
Martin Shanahan Jr., Joliet
Dear Martin,
The Chicago area basked in record 65-degree warmth on Jan. 24, 1967; two days later
the city was shut down by its biggest snowstorm, the 23-inch Big Snow of Jan. 26-27.
To this day, many Chicagoans become apprehensive when unseasonable winter warmth
invades the city. Since 1885, the city has recorded half a dozen 6-inch-plus
snowstorms that have developed within three days of high temperatures of at least 60
degrees, and an additional 10 major snows that have closely followed days with highs
in the 50s. The large variations in temperature are indicative of a volatile atmosphere,
ripe for major storm development.
