Chicago Weather

Chicago's Winter Was Warmer, Had Less Snowfall Than Usual, NWS Says

A maintenance worker spreads salt in the area around Cloud Gate during a morning rush hour snow storm as a winter weather advisory is issued for the Chicago area on Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Meteorological winter ended over the weekend, and scientists at the National Weather Service say that it was warmer and featured significantly less snowfall than normal.

According to the weather service, the average high temperature during meteorological winter, which runs from Dec. 1 to March 1, was 38.1 degrees. That figure is 4.5 degrees warmer than the average set between 1981 and 2010.

Average low temperatures for the season were 24.7 degrees, which is 5.6 degrees above normal.

The big differences came in terms of precipitation and snow. While precipitation totals checked in at 5.12 inches, approximately 0.66 inches below normal, snowfall was well below average in Chicago. The city saw 18.6 inches of snow during the winter season, 9.5 inches below normal for this time of year.

Meteorological spring began on March 1 and will run through June 1.

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