The Chicago area has been getting a taste of winter in recent days, which may lead some residents to wonder whether this is a normal occurrence.
According to the National Weather Service, the city of Chicago’s official reporting station at O’Hare International Airport saw trace amounts of snow on both Tuesday and Wednesday, with no measurable snow detected despite the western suburbs getting slapped with accumulations from a slow-moving storm system over the upper Midwest.
So when exactly does the city of Chicago typically see its final snowfall of the season?
According to NWS historic data, the average date for the final measurable snow of the season, defined as at least one-tenth of an inch of accumulation, is April 2.
So far this year, the last time the city saw measurable snowfall was on March 22, when meteorologists recorded one inch of snow at O’Hare.
The latest measurable snowfall on record occurred in 1966, when the city recorded an accumulating snow on May 11.
As for the final trace of snow of the year, that average date falls on April 14, according to officials. The latest trace amount of snow recorded in the city occurred on May 25, 1924.
While one can never rule out a freak late-season snowfall, it appears that Chicago will be out of the woods for snow, at least for the time being, after Thursday. Temperatures will warm back into the 60s next week, with showers appearing in the forecast on Wednesday and Thursday.