Monday's smattering of light snowfall to make way for clear, warmer conditions
(Eden, Janine and Jim | Flickr)
CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - Monday’s initial dusting of snowfall should taper off by 1 p.m., making way for a round of snow and rain showers that’s expected to last until 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. A slight chance of additional snowfall is then expected until 7 p.m.
As of 6:55 a.m., O’Hare International Airport had recorded 1.4 inches of accumulated snowfall, while Midway International Airport had seen 1.5 inches of snowfall by 11:02 a.m., the weather service said.
The smattering of snowfall has already disrupted plans for some baseball fans. The Chicago Cubs’ Monday home opener was postponed until Tuesday due to the the weather affecting the conditions at Wrigley Field.
But locals and tourists shouldn’t despair. The white stuff will be but a distant memory by Friday, when high temperatures are expected to reach 70 degrees, the weather service said.
And the 1.7 inches of snow we’ve had so far in April? Nothing to panic about. The average for April is about 1.2 inches, meteorologists say. Spare a thought for the folks driving on April 2, 1975. Ditto for April 5, 1982, when — on each of those days — 9.4 inches of snow fell, a record for April. And it has been known to snow in May in Chicago, too.
Nevertheless, this spring has been a bit of a downer for nature lovers. Crocuses and daffodils have been slow to poke through the crusted earth. And the rabbits in Grant Park have seen their burrows filled with snow, said Bob O’Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy.
“In Chicago, people really celebrate the bulbs coming up and the blooming flowers because they’ve had a long winter,” O’Neill said. “I’ve heard so many people say [this year], ‘I can’t believe it’s still winter.’”
Regardless of how much snow falls Monday, motorists should watch out for slick spots on the road, the weather service said. Scattered snow and rain in the afternoon may result in very low visibility and poor driving conditions.
A daytime high in the upper 30s is expected Monday, with wind gusts reaching about 10 miles per hour. At night, temperatures will fall to the mid-20s.