Dear Tom,

When was the latest occurrence of measurable snow in Chicago?

Thanks, Dennis Anton

Dear Dennis,

The date is May 11, 1966, when the Chicago area officially recorded 0.2 inches of snowfall at Midway Airport. The snow fell during the opening stages of a wet, windy spring storm that eventually brought more than 3 inches of heavy, flooding rains to the Chicago area, forcing scores of people out of their homes. The snow was heaviest north and west of the city, with 3.5 inches at Elgin, 2 inches at Barrington and Glen Ellyn, and 1.6 inches at O’Hare. The storm came in the wake of a warm spell that produced a high of 84 on May 5. Cooler weather arrived on May 8, with a high of just 47, and that was followed by a trace of snow on May 9 before the measurable snow on May 11. The city’s all-time latest trace of snow fell on June 2, 1910.