Chicago residents yearning for a snowy white Christmas are likely to get more than they hoped for, as meteorologists are looking at a possible “near blizzard,” with snow and subfreezing winds.
Bundled up pedestrians hunker down as temperatures hoover in the low teens as they cross over the Adams Street Bridge near the Union Station in Chicago on Dec. 19, 2022. Chicago residents yearning for a snowy white Christmas are likely to get more than they hoped for, as meteorologists are looking at a possible “near blizzard,” with snow and subfreezing winds that could remind residents of the 2011 Groundhog’s Day blizzard.
The National Weather Service’s Chicago office on Monday released a forecast that predicted the strong possibility of snow, strong winds and cold air arriving ahead of Christmas.“Major storm system affecting the area Thursday through Saturday, with the most significant impacts from accumulating and blowing snow and very strong winds late Thursday afternoon into Friday night,” the weather service forecast stated. Snow is expected to move in on Thursday, one of the busiest travel days of the year, with conditions worsening late Thursday into Friday. By Christmas Eve and Day, air temperatures are expected to be well below average with wind chills between -20 and -30 degrees Fahrenheit.In frigid single digit weather, Dan Haupert of Crystal Lake stands at his father’s gravesite and recites mass to him and the deceased around him at Saint Michael The Archangel Catholic Cemetery on Dec. 19, 2022 in Palatine. Just how much snow the Chicago area could receive depends largely on the storm’s path, which could shift during the week, officials said. “Worst case scenario is it could potentially rival the Groundhog Day blizzard of 2011,” said Kevin Birk, a weather service meteorologist, referring to the of snow on Chicago. “It’s certainly a possibility that we’re watching closely, but that type of scenario isn’t necessarily set in stone yet.”[Don’t miss] Extreme cold, snow and a Chicago Bears game: What to know about the weather this week“The main uncertainty lies in how much snow we’ll actually get in the area we’ll see. It’s looking likely that we’re going to see some pretty good impacts from the system, whether it’s a lot of snow and blizzard-like conditions, or just a little bit of snow with some near-blizzard conditions at time,” Birk said.Abandoned vehicles litter northbound Lake Shore Drive the day after the Groundhog Day blizzard. Nearly a thousand cars were stranded overnight. The snowfall total from the storm was pegged at 20.2 inches at O'Hare International Airport, making the Groundhog Day storm the third-largest in Chicago history, according to the weather service. The Chicago area hasn’t had more than 3 inches of snow during Christmas since Christmas week 2008, while the coldest recent Christmas was during 2000, when the wind chill was -17, according to the weather service. Local roadway officials responsible for keeping area streets and expressways clear hadn’t responded to questions on snow preparation Monday morning.
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