Chicago and surrounding suburbs saw their first measurable snowfall of the season Tuesday, roughly a month after the first trace of snow.
“What’s fallen since 1 a.m. this morning is the first measurable snowfall event for Chicago,” said Jake Petr, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “We’re getting an early dose of winter.”
He said temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s to cap the week.
As of 6 a.m., .6 of an inch of snow was recorded at O’Hare International Airport, while the National Weather Service’s office in Romeoville measured 1 inch of snow and Midway Airport reported .4 of an inch, Petr said.
Some areas south of Plainfield got up to 2.4 inches of snow.
Projections through Tuesday night call for 1-3 inches in most of northeastern Illinois, with some areas closer to Lake Michigan seeing 3-5 inches of snow, he said.
The rest of the week looks “pretty snowy and cold,” Petr said, with more snow showers expected Wednesday and another round of “gusty snow showers” possible Thursday.
Temperatures are forecast to dip to the 20s during the day and into the teens and single digits overnight through the weekend.