Dear Tom,
The temperature was in the mid-80s on both Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, and the first measurable snow was Nov. 9. Is that a record for the quickest transition from 80s to snow?
— TR Valentine, Plano
Dear TR,
It is not, and it is not even close to the record. It took just three days in October 1989 for the Chicago area to transition from a three-day string of 80s to measurable snow. The city basked in the 80s from Oct. 13-15, peaking at 85 degrees Oct. 14. Temperatures began to drop after a cold front passage as north winds increased. Some rain fell Oct. 16-17 and transitioned to wet snow early Oct. 18 as readings fell into the lower 30s, with O’Hare officially measuring 0.7 inches. Wet snow continued the next few days with slushy accumulations of a couple of inches reported across most of the area.
It took just three days in October 1989 for the Chicago area to transition from a three-day string of 80s to measurable snow.
