What's Coming First Day Of Meteorological Spring? More Snow
CHICAGO (CBS) -- This month already was the third snowiest February on record in Chicago, and March will get an early jump on the snow, with a winter storm blanketing the area in up to 6 inches of snow on Sunday, March 1.
Sunday is the first day of meteorological spring, but will see 2 to 6 inches of snow in the Chicago area, and possibly more, according to CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros.
That comes on the heels of 26.4 inches of snow so far in February, as of Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The most snow ever in February in Chicago was four years ago, when there were 29 inches of snow, most of it during the Groundhog Day blizzard that crippled the city, and left hundreds of drivers stranded on Lake Shore Drive, after more than 21 inches of snow buried Chicago.
While skies should be clear Friday and most of Saturday, a winter storm will begin moving through the Chicago area late Saturday night or early Sunday.
Forecast models on Friday showed the heaviest snow from Sunday's storm likely would be south of Interstate 80, with 4 to 6 inches. North of I-80 likely will get 2 to 4 inches. Those totals could change as the system evolves.
While Sunday is the first day of meteorological spring, below normal temperatures will continue through the next seven days, with only Tuesday's temperatures coming close to normal.
February also was a bitterly cold month, and might go down as the coldest on record for Chicago, depending on the temperatures through the end of Saturday. In February 1875, the average temperature in Chicago was 14.6 degrees.