Snowfall Could Break Record

Chicago is just 1" away from topping 115-year-old February snowfall tally

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Don't get too comfortable with the snow-free roads.

A winter weather advisory for the Chicago area goes into affect Thursday night, predicting 3 to 5 inches of snow by Friday.  And if it comes, it'll break a February snowfall record of 27.8 inches set 115 years ago in 1896.

At the official recording station at O'Hare International Airport, 27 inches of the white stuff has already fallen this month.

Sleet and rain are expected to precede the snow, so be careful on your way home from work. Once the snow starts around 6 p.m., it could be heavy at times, with accumulations exceeding one inch per hour.

The snow should gradually taper off Friday morning. A lighter wave of snow moves in Friday night, but thunderstorms on Sunday stand a chance of wiping out any accumulation.

At Home Depot there are few complaints but they're with an eye toward spring. 

"I love it.  It drives our sales, but you know good weather drives our sales too," said employee Paul Fatigato as he watched more salt fly out the door.

Still, he said springtime is good, too.  Next to the snowblowers and salt are spring flowers  already on sale. 

But gritty Chicagoans set it straight.

"It's winter," said officer Joe Prince. "People, deal with it!"

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