When is Chicago's first snow of the season usually? Is it arriving late this year?
CHICAGO (CBS) – This week brings the first significant snowfall of the season to the Chicago area. Snow is expected to fall at least through the early afternoon before changing over to cold November rain.
A winter weather advisory is in effect from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chicago area, and has been extended until 3 p.m. in Northwest Indiana and Kankakee County.
While it feels like it's been a long time coming this year, CBS Chicago meteorologist David Yeomans says that Nov. 21 is actually pretty close to on-target for the first round of measurable snow in winter.
"This is actually just one day off from our typical first measurable snow," Yeomans said.
The record for the latest first snow in Chicago happened in 2021, when the city waited until after Christmas (Dec. 28) to see its first significant flakes.
Snow totals will be heaviest on grass and cold surfaces like cars, but snow is also accumulating on many area roadways creating hazardous driving conditions.
While the first snowfall is arriving more or less on schedule for the area, one other winter benchmark saw its date drift later. Yeomans said that this year marked our fourth-latest first freeze on record. Yeomans said that this date has been trending slightly later due to climate change.
The National Weather Service says conditions are expected to improve as temperatures rise.