Chicagoans may be greeted with the season’s first snow on Wednesday night.
“We don’t necessarily expect any accumulation, but there could be a few flakes potentially flying Wednesday night into early Thursday morning,” said Kevin Birk, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Last year, the first snow of the season arrived on Halloween. At least a tenth of an inch of snow was recorded, so that snowfall was considered “measurable.” The average date of Chicago’s first measurable snowfall is approximately Nov. 16.
If Chicago is bestowed with a snowfall on Wednesday night, it might not be measurable, Birk said.
And since the mercury hasn’t dropped to 32 degrees this season, Wednesday could also be Chicago’s first freeze. On Wednesday night, the temperature at O’Hare International Airport is expected to fall to 31 degrees.
The average date of O’Hare’s first freeze is approximately Oct. 21. The lowest low temperature at O’Hare this month has been 38 degrees. In October, the temperature at the airport got as cold as 37 degrees.
“It’s been a pretty warm fall thus far, with warm overnight low temperatures and really mild daytime highs,” Birk said.
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