Chicagoans awoke to a brisk New Year's Day with scattered flurries and isolated snow showers that were expected to continue until 3:00 p.m., based on a forecast from the National Weather Service. The skies largely remained cloaked in clouds as temperatures hovered near 31 degrees, with a west wind introducing gusts as high as 25 mph, presenting just a slim 20% chance of precipitation as daylight waned.
According to the National Weather Service's official forecast, which had an eye cast toward the evening, residents could anticipate a dip in temperatures to around 22 degrees under partly cloudy skies. These conditions are marking the intro of a continuation of chill that's settled over Chicago, stretching a bridge to more frigid days ahead.
Thursday is eyeing with a 30% chance of snow, particularly after 3:00 p.m., as reported by the National Weather Service. A blend of sun and increasing clouds will push the high near 32 degrees, which is just at the brink of freezing. As evening approaches, those chances of snow escalate to 40%, with forecasts predicting the snow to cease before the night's middle, leaving clouds to part eventually and the thermometer to plummet to a low of 17 degrees.
FOX32 Chicago's weather update warns of a systems stronger storm which could sweep into the Midwest by Sunday. There remains a sheen of uncertainty shadowing the specifics of this storm's trajectory, but snow will likely find its way to Chicago's doorstep by Monday, particularly favoring the city's southern reaches.
Despite December's conclusion with an average temperature standing at 32 degrees, 1.5 degrees above what is normally expected, the snow seems to be shy this season. Chicago's O'Hare Airport has only seen a sparse 2.4 inches of snowfall, trailing behind the typical 7.6 inches for the month. Yet, in a balance to this variance, the overall precipitation measures have been on par with the expected 2.11 inches, coming in at 1.93 inches as recorded for December.
