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Chicago Sets Another Record For Snow

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Following last week's blizzard, which ranks No. 3 all time, Sunday's snowfall helped the city reach another frigid milestone.

O'Hare International Airport received 2.6 inches of snow Sunday, bringing total snowfall for the winter season to 50.1 inches, the National Weather Service said.

It is the first time in city weather history that there have been four consecutive seasons of 50-inch snowfall.

The last three recent winter snowfall totals were 60.3 inches in 2007-08, 52.7 inches in 2008-09, and 54.2 inches in 2009-10.

For those who may think that the impressively snowy winters of the late 1970s were worse, the weather service says that period included three consecutive winters with 50 inches or more.

In 1976-77 we got 54.1 inches; in 1977-78 a total of 82.3 inches fell; and in 1978-79, 89.7 inches of snow were dumped on the city.

Chicago's average seasonal snowfall is 38 inches, according to the weather service.

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