Chicago is expected to see its first snowfall of the season Wednesday evening after an unseasonably warm fall.
Scattered “flurries” of rain, snow and sleet are expected to begin late Wednesday afternoon, with occasional snow showers continuing through the night, said Gino Izzi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
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Another weather system coming from the north Thursday morning is then expected to bring a few hours of more snow, before changing to a light drizzle, he said.
“Looks like we have a little taste of winter coming,” Izzi said.
Some accumulation of slush may occur in the city, although suburban residents are much more likely to see snow sticking, especially on raised or grassy surfaces, according to Izzi.
Less than an inch of snow accumulation is possible, according to the weather service.
Temperatures overnight Wednesday are expected to drop to near freezing in Chicago, with suburbs in the far West and Northwest potentially seeing temperatures in the upper 20s, Izzi said.
Such temperatures would mark Chicago’s first frost of the season, which typically occurs in mid-to-late October. In 2023, Chicago’s first snowfall and frost occurred on Halloween.
By midday Thursday, temperatures were expected to exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which should melt any accumulated snow and leave it a “distant memory” by the evening, Izzi said.
Later this week, temperatures are expected to reach the mid-40s during the day, according to weather service forecasts.
“Temperatures are going to become more typical for this time of year,” Izzi said. “So far we have been incredibly welcoming. I think we’re experiencing one of the hottest falls on record in Chicago, in about 150 years, so our benchmark for what it should be now is probably a little convoluted. So I think the temperatures will be much more typical of what we should see starting in mid-late November, which is high temperatures in the 40s.”
Originally published: November 20, 2024 at 10:48 a.m. CST
How can residents prepare for unexpected snowfall in light of the city’s contingency plans?
Guest 1: Megan Kim, Environmental Researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Website Editor: Hi Megan, thank you for joining us today. We are excited to discuss the upcoming snowfall and its impact on the Chicago area. Could you share your thoughts on how the city’s infrastructure handles snowfall, given the unseasonably warm fall we have experienced?
Megan Kim: Hello! It’s a pleasure to be here. Well, the city’s infrastructure, like many other cities, is designed to handle a certain amount of snowfall each winter season. However, with the unseasonably warm fall, it’s hard to say how well it will be prepared for this first snowfall. Cities typically begin their snow removal procedures before the winter season begins, which hasn’t happened this year. But they do have contingency plans and practices in place to handle unexpected snowfall.
Website Editor: That’s interesting. Could you elaborate on those contingency plans and practices?
Megan Kim: Sure. The city has a snow plowing plan that prioritizes major streets and highways first, followed by residential streets and neighborhoods. They also have salt trucks and spreaders to help melt the snow and ice. Additionally, they have a system for alerting residents about potential snow emergencies and providing information on parking restrictions. However, it’s important to note that these plans are designed for winter preparation, so they might need to be adjusted to accommodate for the unseasonably warm weather.
Website Editor: Absolutely. What about the environmental impact of snowfall? How does it affect the city’s ecosystem and wildlife?
Megan Kim: Snowfall can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. On one hand, it helps retain moisture in the soil, which is essential for plant growth and water conservation. On the other hand, it can harm wildlife that might not have adapted to the cold weather yet. Birds and other animals may struggle to find food sources during heavy snowfall, and their habitats could be disrupted. Furthermore, the use of salt and other chemicals to melt snow can potentially contaminate local water bodies.
Website Editor: That’s something to consider. How do you think this snowfall will affect Chicago residents, especially
