Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
    • Local
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Podcast

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

Trump’s War on America Ramps up with Vow Not to Pay Federal Workers

SCOTUS Faces Trump Loyalty Test in New Term

Americans Are Sleeping Longer — but Not Necessarily Better

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
The Windy City Word
  • Home
  • News
    1. Local
    2. View All

    Youth curfew vote stalled in Chicago City Council’s public safety committee

    Organizers, CBA Coalition pushback on proposed luxury hotel near Obama Presidential Center

    New petition calls for state oversight and new leadership at Roseland Community Hospital

    UFC Gym to replace shuttered Esporta in Morgan Park

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

  • Opinion

    Capitalize on Slower Car Dealership Sales in 2025

    The High Cost Of Wealth Worship

    What Every Black Child Needs in the World

    Changing the Game: Westside Mom Shares Bally’s Job Experience with Son

    The Subtle Signs of Emotional Abuse: 10 Common Patterns

  • Business

    Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology supplier diversity office to host procurement webinar for vendors

    Crusader Publisher host Ukrainian Tech Businessmen eyeing Gary investment

    Sims applauds $220,000 in local Back to Business grants

    New Hire360 partnership to support diversity in local trades

    Taking your small business to the next level

  • Health

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    COMMENTARY: Health Care is a Civil Rights Issue

  • Education

    Alabama’s CHOOSE Act: A Promise and a Responsibility

    After Plunge, Black Students Enroll in Harvard

    What Is Montessori Education?

    Nation’s Report Card Shows Drop in Reading, Math, and Science Scores

    The Lasting Impact of Bedtime Stories

  • Sports

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

    Conference Commissioners Discuss Name, Image, and Likeness in Washington

    Week 4 HBCU Football Recap: DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Wins Big

    Turning the Tide: Unity, History, and the Future of College Football in Mississippi

  • Podcast
The Windy City Word
Local

Chicago weather: Weather experts says winter is over. These were its warmest, coldest and snowiest days.

staffBy staffUpdated:No Comments5 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email

Chicago is under a winter storm watch, but spring has already sprung for weather experts.

That’s because experts prefer to track weather in four increments of three months each — instead of astronomical seasons, which are defined by equinoxes and solstices.

Advertisement

So, March 1 was the start of meteorological spring, which sticks around until the end of May.

WGN-Ch. 9 chief meteorologist Tom Skilling is frequently asked why forecasters prefer to follow meteorological seasons.

Advertisement

[ Tom Skilling Q&A: WGN-TV’s chief meteorologist on ‘barbaric’ cold and snowy weather from the city’s past ]

“I prefer meteorological winter — and the other three seasons: spring (March to May), summer (June to August) and fall (September to November) — because they are unvarying in their beginning and ending dates. This is essential in making comparisons between seasons (temperatures, for example) from one year to another. The data are always from identical periods of time,” Skilling said.

With a weakening La Nina climate system still in effect, Chicago has been warmer than average — which means snow has been scarce.

The city typically experiences about two days with a snowfall greater than 6 inches between December and February, National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Borchardt told the Tribune, but that didn’t happen at all this winter.

A daily snowfall of 1 inch or more was recorded just seven times during the 89-day season.

Though snowfall was lacking, Chicago had more rain than expected.

[ Chicago weather: How our 2022-23 seasonal snowfall compares with previous winters ]

Warmest high temperature: 59 degrees

Image 1 of 22

Fog and mist envelopes the Chicago area at the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park on Jan. 3, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Blizzardlike conditions hit just before Christmas, but became milder just before the new year.

The average temperature for the three-month span was 31.8 degrees, Borchardt said.

Advertisement

Temperatures topped out in the 50-degree range a total of 15 days during the three-month span — four in December, three in January and eight in February.

Only 19 days between December and February had high temperatures below freezing.

Coldest low temperature: Minus 8 degrees

Image 1 of 43

A pedestrian crosses Randolph Street near Millennium Park as steam rises in the arctic cold on Dec. 23, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

An Arctic blast of below-zero temperatures and bitter wind chills forced the cancellation of some of the city’s much-loved holiday attractions and produced one of the coldest Bears home games.

Though temperature departures were below normal for about 10 days, that was the worst the “Hawk” thrust upon the city this winter.

Subzero temperatures were recorded just five days during meteorological winter — three of those were observed on consecutive days (Dec. 22-24).

Advertisement

[ What is a polar vortex? How often does the weather phenomenon happen here? Experts explain. ]

[ Chicago’s coldest recorded temperatures and longest stretches of deep freezes ]

[ Brrrrr down: A look at the coldest Chicago Bears games at Soldier Field ]

Highest daily rain accumulation: 1.38 inches

Pedestrians try their best to cover up on Madison Street in Chicago, as a cold light rain falls on Dec. 14, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

What the city lacked in snow, it gained in rain.

Borchardt said this winter was the 15th wettest on record with 8.59 inches of liquid water (melted snow and rain) recorded — that’s a bit more than 2.5 inches above normal.

Highest daily snow accumulation: 3.6 inches

Jonathan Patrick of Arlington Heights cross-country skis in Deer Grove-East forest preserve on Jan. 25, 2023, in Palatine.

Jonathan Patrick of Arlington Heights cross-country skis in Deer Grove-East forest preserve on Jan. 25, 2023, in Palatine. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The only significant thing about this winter’s snowfall was its absence.

Just 18 inches of snow fell this winter at O’Hare International Airport, the city’s official recording site — that’s roughly 20 inches below normal.

Advertisement

The most snow Chicago has ever received in one season is 89.7 inches during 1978-79. The least — 9.8 inches — occurred in 1920-21.

[ Chicago’s 10 largest snowfalls since 1886 — and how the Tribune covered them ]

(NOAA/Climate Prediction Center)

(NOAA/Climate Prediction Center)

There are equal chances for above or below normal temperatures this month, so it’s difficult to predict if we’ll be wearing shorts or snow pants.

Afternoon Briefing

Daily

Chicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.

The rise in temperatures through meteorological spring is stark with high temperatures typically in the lower 40s in early March and in the mid 70s by late May, Borchardt said.

Our mild winter has encouraged perennial plants to sprout and for animals to emerge from hibernation or migration. Any frosty conditions for an extended period of time could spell trouble for them, Illinois state climatologist Trent Ford told the Tribune.

[ Chicago weather: When to expect the last freeze and snow of spring ]

Our wet winter is expected to be followed by a wet spring, which makes it a good time to consider taking one of the National Weather Service’s severe weather spotter training sessions since thunderstorms and a potential tornado could be sparked due to unstable conditions this time of year.

Borchardt said Chicago typically sees 6 to 8 inches of snow during spring with the majority of it falling in March, so it’s not quite time to give up on sledding or snowman-building yet.

Advertisement

krumore@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @rumormill

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Telegram Email
Previous ArticleChicago police union President John Catanzara faces election challenge
Next Article Brandon Johnson questions past critical race theory comments from Paul Vallas, who says he’s focused on ‘issue-oriented’ campaign
staff

Related Posts

Youth curfew vote stalled in Chicago City Council’s public safety committee

Organizers, CBA Coalition pushback on proposed luxury hotel near Obama Presidential Center

New petition calls for state oversight and new leadership at Roseland Community Hospital

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxFXtgzTu4U
Advertisement
Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjfvYnUXHuI
ABOUT US

 

The Windy City Word is a weekly newspaper that projects a positive image of the community it serves. It reflects life on the Greater West Side as seen by the people who live and work here.

OUR PICKS

AI in Cars: The Game-Changer You Didn’t Expect! #shorts #cartech

Golf Hatchback: The ONLY Car Most Americans Need

Some of Chicago’s best hit the stage for the first time at the 2024 Pitchfork Music Festival

MOST POPULAR

Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

A Question of a Government Shutdown?

Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

© 2025 The Windy City Word. Site Designed by No Regret Medai.
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.