What was the worst winter in Chicago history?

Extreme cold and heavy snow combined to make the winter of 1978-79 Chicago's worst ever. With a season's total of 89.7 inches, it was the snowiest ever, and the average temperature of 18.4 degrees was the city's second-coldest, runner-up to 1903-04 by a scant one-tenth of a degree.

What was the worst winter storm in Chicago?

What year was the biggest snowfall in Chicago?

On January 26 and 27, 1967, Chicago endured its worst snowstorm on record. The snow started at 502 AM on the 26th, and by 1010 AM of the 27th a record 23 inches of snow crippled the city.

What was the snowiest winter in Chicago?

What is the record snowfall in Chicago?

Chicago's snowfall climatology dates back to the 1884-85 snow season and over the course of those 138 seasons, Jan. 26 with a total of 87.4 inches boasts the most snowfall of any day of the year. That total is buoyed by the 16.4 inches that fell in 1967, the first day of the city's benchmark 23.0 inch “Big Snow”.

The Worst Winters in Chicago

How much snow did Chicago get in the blizzard of 1978?

The 1978-79 New Year's Eve snowstorm was just one of many that winter that combined to produce Chicago's all-time snowiest winter, delivering 89.7 inches of snow.

How many inches of snow did Chicago get in the blizzard of 2011?

With 21.2 inches total, the 2011 blizzard sits in the history books behind the Jan. 1-3 1999 blizzard, which dropped 21.76 inches of snow, and the Jan. 26-27 1967 blizzard, which saw a whopping 23 inches of snowfall.

How many inches of snow did Chicago get in 1979?

The Chicago blizzard of 1979 was a major blizzard that affected northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on January 13–14, 1979. It was one of the largest Chicago snowstorms in history at the time, with 21 inches (53 cm) of snowfall in the two-day period.

What were the worst blizzards in Chicago?

26-27, 1967) — Chicago's largest. Snow began falling at 5:02 a.m. on Jan. 26, 1967, and didn't stop until a record-breaking 23 inches had accumulated the next day, according to the National Weather Service, making it the worst snowstorm recorded in Chicago history.

When was Snowmageddon in Chicago?

In the time since then, the biggest snowstorm Chicago has seen came on Feb. 1-2, 2015, with 19.3 inches. CBS 2's Jim Williams contributed to this report.

Has Chicago ever had a winter with no snow?

Dec. 22, 2021, at 1:17 p.m. CHICAGO (AP) — For the first time on record, Chicago has gone through an entire fall season without receiving a single measurable snowfall.

What year was the blizzard in Chicago?

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Wednesday's extreme cold is certainly rough to deal with, but it's probably still better than facing the historic blizzard that slammed Chicago 55 years ago today. On Jan. 26, 1967, snow started falling on Chicago, and didn't stop until more than a day later, after there were 23 inches on the ground.

What year was the biggest snowstorm?

The heaviest snowfall ever recorded in a 24-hour period in the U.S. occurred on April 14 and 15, 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado. During this single day, 6.3 feet of snow fell onto the ground according to Weather.com.

Was there a blizzard in 1966?

The Blizzard of 1966 swept across most of the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains on January 26, 27, 28 and 29, and brought record low temperatures, high winds and heavy snowfall in its wake.

Did Chicago have a Blizzard in 1978?

The city has so far recorded more than 40 inches for the season following a massive snowstorm that dumped as much as 18 inches on some parts of Chicago, less at O'Hare Airport. In the 1978-79 winter season, however, the city recorded 89.7 inches of snow.

Was there a Blizzard in 1979 in Chicago?

The Blizzard of 1979, and the city's response to it, ended up being the catalyst for the ouster of Mayor Michael Bilandic a few months later. The snow began to fall with a vengeance on the night of Friday, Jan. 12, 1979, and it kept piling up until 2 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14.

How long did the 1978 Blizzard last?

While a typical nor'easter brings steady snow for six to twelve hours, the Blizzard of '78 brought heavy snow for an unprecedented full 33 hours as it was blocked from heading into the North Atlantic by a strong Canadian high pressure area.

How many inches of snow did Chicago get in 1967?

On January 26–27, 1967, Chicago experienced its worst snowstorm on record. The snow began at 5:02 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, and by 10:10 a.m. the next day, a record 23.0 inches of snowfall from a storm blanketed the city.

Has Chicago ever had snow in June?

There has been only one instance of snow in June, a trace that fell on June 2, 1910. Snow has never been observed in Chicago in July and August, with the earliest start to the fall snow season being traces that fell on Sept. 25 in 1928 and 1942.

What is the most inches of snow ever recorded?

The old Mount Shasta Ski Bowl in northern California holds the record for the most snow received from a single storm system. A total of 15.75 feet (189 inches) of snow was measured Feb. 13-19, 1959. Mount Shasta is a volcano in the Cascade Mountain range and rises as high as 14,160 feet.

What is the longest blizzard on record?

Great Blizzard of March 1888 March 11–14, 1888. One of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the United States. On March 12, an unexpected northeaster hit New England and the mid-Atlantic, dropping up to 50 in (130 cm) of snow in the space of three days.

What year did Lake Shore Drive freeze?

The I-95 back-up is reminiscent of what happened on Lake Shore Drive in 2011, when a dangerous combination of major snowfall and freezing winds led to hundreds of vehicles — including several CTA buses — stranded in deep snow overnight, abandoned.

Who got the most snow in the blizzard of 78?

In 1978, one of the worst blizzards in recent memory crippled the Atlantic seaboard. Between February 5th and February 7th, 1978, Boston received a record 27” of snow, while Providence, R.I., did Beantown half an inch better, at 27.6”. Atlantic City, N.J. also broke an all-time record with 20” of snow.