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Fresh Snow and Temperature Outlook Ahead of Christmas Day

If you are looking for fresh snow by Christmas morning or are curious about potential travel disruptions, the best chances for at least 1" of new snowfall early this week exist across the mountainous West, Great Lakes, and Northeast. Otherwise, temperatures this last full week of December will average above normal for much of the lower 48 states. Read More >

Fast Facts

  • A late season moderate to at times heavy wet snow fell across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on the afternoon and night of Sunday, March 22. Most of the snow stuck on grass with little (mainly under an inch) sticking on pavement.
  • Through 1 a.m., official snowfall for Chicago (O'Hare) was 2.2" and for Rockford was 1.4". Other totals include 4.3" at the NWS Chicago in Romeoville and 3.0" observed 3 miles southwest of Midway Airport. 
  • The heaviest snow of 4 - 5.5" fell generally 15 miles north/south of I-80, and was a focus area for more persistent banding of snow. This was a key attribute of this system, along with high moisture and instability (allows for more rapid upward motion of air and in turn heavier precipitation rates).
  • While more snow fell than the forecast of "1-2 inches with isolated higher", the forecast impacts of little to road travel was the case thanks to pavement temperatures well above freezing at onset and air temperatures at or above freezing the entire snowfall duration. 
 

 

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