Late Snowfall Leaves Roads A Mess; Temperatures Just Shy Of Record
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A late season snowfall overnight in the Chicago area left many roads a mess during the morning commute, and dropping temperatures came close to setting a new record for cold.
Monday night's snowfall dropped 1.4 inches at O'Hare International Airport, according to the National Weather Service, pushing the seasonal total to 82 inches, just shy of the 2nd most seasonal snowfall for Chicago – when 82.3 inches fell in the winter of 1977-78.
It would take a lot more snow through June to break the record of 89.7 inches, set in 1978-79. No more snow is expected in the next week, though in Chicago, it's not unheard of to have snow as late as May. The latest snowfall recorded in the city was on May 11, 1966, when about a third of an inch fell in Chicago.
Temperatures also came close to setting a record early Tuesday. The temperature at O'Hare dropped to 26 degrees before 6 a.m. The record low for April 15 was 25 degrees, set in 1943.
The cold and snow combined to make for a messy morning commute on many roads, due to the slick conditions.
On the Dan Ryan Expressway, four people were hurt when nine cars were involved in a crash near 47th Street around 4:15 a.m.
Temperatures should rise to a high of about 43 degrees Tuesday afternoon, and then return to the 50s Wednesday through Saturday, and reach the 60s Sunday and Monday.