2 To 5 Inches Of Snow Headed For Chicago, Making A Messy Rush Hour
CHICAGO (STMW) -- The Chicago area will be under a winter advisory tonight and through Monday morning's commute, with the National Weather Service forecasting 2 to 5 inches of snow falling between 10 p.m. Sunday and noon. As much as two inches of snow could blanket the city by morning.
Two years ago, a blizzard dumped more than 20 inches of snow on Chicago in the first days of February. This year, the month began with persistent smaller snowfalls that are likely to continue into the workweek.
The snow is expected to continue into Monday afternoon, and could drop up to five inches by the time it passes over the region, the weather service said.
The city could get a brief reprieve Monday night, but by Tuesday the weather service is predicting an 80 percent chance of more snow.
"This weekend it snowed every 24 hours. The third in a series of four disturbances will bring cold air and enough moisture to rattle out a few inches of snow [starting Sunday night]," National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein said.
The frequency of snow to start the month is not uncommon, but has been for this winter, he said. As of Sunday morning, the city had received only about 6 inches of snow this winter— 9 inches below normal.
"Certainly February is still wintertime in Chicago," Friedlein said. "So we still have chances for snow … We haven't had 9 inches total this winter, but February is off to a good start to get to normal — if not exceed it."
On Feb. 1, 2011, a two-day blizzard dropped 20.2 inches of snow at O'Hare International Airport. The storm — which included lightning, thunder and small hail — was the third-largest snowstorm on record in Chicago.
The average monthly snowfall for February in Chicago is 9.1 inches, the weather service said. The average temperature is 27.7 degrees.
Chicagoans experienced a warmer than normal January, when the average temperature was almost 3 degrees above normal, the weather service said.
The temperature is expected to warm above freezing by mid-week, and rain is possible Thursday, the weather service said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
