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Last Updated: 4/22/2021
| Wettest Year | 2008 with 50.86" |
| Driest Year | 1962 with 22.22" |
| Wettest Month | August 1987 with 17.10" |
| Driest Month | September 1979 with 0.01" |
| 24 hours | 9.35" - August 13-14, 1987 |
| 12 hours | 8.35" - August 13-14, 1987 |
| 6 hours | 5.95" - August 13-14, 1987 |
| 2 hours | 4.29" - June 13, 1976 |
| 60 minutes | 3.34" - June 13, 1976 |
| 30 minutes | 2.35" - July 20, 1978 |
| 20 minutes | 2.21" - July 20, 1978 |
| 15 minutes | 2.14" - July 20, 1978 |
| 10 minutes | 1.97" - July 20, 1978 |
| 5 minutes | 1.29" - April 24, 1976 |
| 22 days | September 2-23, 1979 |
| 21 days | February 1-21, 1877 |
| 2008 | 50.86" | 1. | 1962 | 22.22" |
| 2011 | 49.83" | 2. | 1956 | 22.23" |
| 2019 | 49.54" | 3. | 1934 | 22.78" |
| 1983 | 49.35" | 4. | 1930 | 22.34" |
| 2018 | 49.23" | 5. | 2005 | 24.09" |
| 1970 | 46.09" | 6. | 1901 | 24.53" |
| 1954 | 45.92" | 7. | 1917 | 24.66" |
| 1883 | 45.86" | 8. | 1897 | 25.85" |
| 2001 | 45.77" | 9. | 1904 | 26.14" |
| 1993 | 44.90" | 10. | 1958 & 1944 | 26.35" |
| Aug 1987 | 17.10" | 1. | Sep 1979 | 0.01" |
| Sep 1961 | 14.17" | 2. | Feb 1877 | 0.06" |
| Sep 2008 | 13.63" | 3. | Jan 1981 | 0.10" |
| Aug 2001 | 12.25" | 4. | Jun 1922 | 0.12" |
| Oct 1954 | 12.06" | 5. | Feb 1920 | 0.13" |
| Aug 1885 | 11.28" | 6. | Apr 1899 | 0.14" |
| Jul 2011 | 11.15" | 7. | Dec 1896 | 0.16" |
| Jun 1892 | 10.58" | 8. | Oct 1897 | 0.18" |
| Jun 1993 | 9.96" | 9. | Aug 1893 | 0.18" |
| Aug 2007 | 9.70" | 10. | Feb 2003 | 0.19" |
| 1978-1979 | 89.7" | 1. | 1920-1921 | 9.8" |
| 1977-1978 | 82.3" | 2. | 1921-1922 | 11.5" |
| 2013-2014 | 82.0" | 3. | 1936-1937 | 12.0" |
| 1969-1970 | 77.0" | 4. | 1948-1949 | 14.3" |
| 1966-1967 | 68.4" | 5. | 1898-1899 | 18.0" |
| 1951-1952 | 66.4" | 6. | 1901-1902 | 18.2" |
| 1917-1918 | 64.1" | 7. | 1924-1925 | 18.9" |
| 2007-2008 | 60.3" | 8. | 1914-1915 | 19.0" |
| 1964-1965 | 59.5" | 9. | 1912-1913 | 19.0" |
| 1903-1904 | 59.5" | 10. | 2011-2012 | 19.8" |
| 1978-1979 | 80.6" | 1. | 1930-1931 | 5.7" |
| 1977-1978 | 71.2" | 2. | 1936-1937 | 6.3" |
| 2013-2014 | 67.4" | 3. | 1921-1922 | 7.1" |
| 1917-1918 | 59.9" | 4. | 1920-1921 | 7.9" |
| 1966-1967 | 58.1" | 5. | 1898-1899 | 8.8" |
| 2010-2011 | 55.8" | 6. | 1889-1890 | 11.0" |
| 1973-1974 | 54.2" | 7. | 1905-1906 | 11.6" |
| 2009-2010 | 52.4" | 8. | 1912-1913 | 11.6" |
| 2007-2008 | 52.1" | 9. | 1890-1891 | 11.7" |
| 1961-1962 | 50.0" | 10. | 1931-1932 | 13.1" |
| January 1918 | 42.5" | January 1928 | 0.2" | |
| February 2011 | 29.0" | February 1987/1998/2017 | Trace | |
| March 1926 | 23.1 | March 1910/1921/1994/1997/2000 | Trace | |
| April 1938 | 13.6" | April ** | Zero | |
| May 1940 | 2.2" | May ** | Zero | |
| June 1910 * | Trace | June ** | Zero | |
| September 1928/1942 | Trace | September ** | Zero | |
| October 1989 | 6.3" | October ** | Zero | |
| November 1940 | 14.8" | November 1999/2001 | Zero | |
| December 1951 | 33.3" | Dec 1889/1912/2014 | Trace | |
|
* Snow pellets occurred with shallow-topped cold core convection around 6:32 am (Note: Hail was not included as snowfall until after July 1948) ** Numerous Years |
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| January 14, 1979 | 29" | September 25, 1942 and 1928 | Trace | |
| February 6-7, 1967 | 28" | October 20, 1989 | 3" | |
| March 26, 1930 | 17" | November 26, 1895 | 12" | |
| April 4, 1926 | 11" | December 25-26, 1951 | 17" | |
| May 2, 1940 | 1" | December 30-31, 2000 | 17" | |
| June 2, 1910 | Trace |
| For the first snowfall of the season: | |
| Trace or More: | |
| Average Date: | October 30th |
| Earliest: | September 25, 1942 (Trace) September 25, 1928 (Trace) |
| Latest: | December 5, 1999 (0.1 inches) |
| Measurable: (0.1 inches or more) | |
| Average Date: | November 16th |
| Earliest: | October 12, 2006 (0.3 inches) |
| Latest: | December 20, 2012 (0.2 inches) |
| One Inch or More: | |
| Average Date: | December 2nd |
| Earliest: | October 19, 1989 (3.8 inches) |
| Latest: | January 25, 2013 (1.1 inches) |
| For the last snowfall of the season: | |
| Trace or More: | |
| Average Date: | April 20th |
| Earliest: | March 9, 1946 (0.1 inches) |
| Latest: | May 25, 1924 (Trace) |
| Measurable: (0.1 inches or more) | |
| Average Date: | April 3rd |
| Earliest: | February 27, 1997 (0.5 inches) |
| Latest: | May 11, 1966 (0.2 inches) |
| One Inch or More: | |
| Average Date: | March 19 |
| Earliest: | January 18, 1927 (1.3 inches) |
| Latest: | May 3, 1907 (1.3 inches) |
| January 2, 1999 | 18.6" | February 28, 1900 | 11.3" | |
| January 13, 1979 | 16.5" | December 12, 1903 | 11.3" | |
| January 26, 1967 | 16.4" | February 18, 2000 | 11.1" | |
| February 1, 2015 | 16.2" | February 3, 1896 | 11.0" | |
| January 30, 1939 | 14.9" | December 20, 1960 | 11.0" | |
| January 6, 1918 | 14.4" | December 10, 1934 | 10.9" | |
| February 1, 2011 | 13.6" | March 7, 1931 | 10.9" | |
| March 25, 1930 | 13.6" | February 3, 1901 | 10.8" | |
| February 9, 2010 | 12.6" | December 23, 1961 | 10.2" | |
| March 2, 1954 | 11.5" | December 27, 1894 | 10.1" | |
| February 18, 1908 | 11.5" | December 14, 1951 | 10.0" |
| January 31-February 2, 2015 | 19.3" |
| January 31-February 2, 2011 | 21.2" |
| January 21-23, 2005 | 11.2" |
| January 30-31, 2002 | 12.0" |
| February 18, 2000 | 11.1" |
| January 1-3, 1999 | 21.6" |
| February 10-11, 1981 | 11.2" |
| January 13-14, 1979 | 18.8" |
| February 6-7, 1978 | 10.3" |
| January 25-27, 1978 | 12.4" |
| January 9-10, 1977 | 10.9" |
| April 1-2, 1970 | 10.7" |
| March 25-26, 1970 | 14.3" |
| December 22-23, 1969 | 11.3" |
| January 26-27, 1967 | 23.0" |
| February 23-25, 1965 | 11.5" |
| December 22-23, 1961 | 11.7" |
| December 19-20, 1960 | 12.5" |
| March 2-3, 1954 | 11.8" |
| December 14, 1951 | 10.0" |
| December 5-8, 1950 | 13.3" |
| December 10-11, 1944 | 10.9" |
| January 30, 1939 | 14.9" |
| December 9-10, 1934 | 11.3" |
| February 6-7, 1933 | 12.7" |
| March 7-8, 1931 | 16.2" |
| March 25-26, 1930 | 19.2" |
| December 17-20, 1929 | 15.0" |
| March 30-31, 1926 | 12.6" |
| January 6-7, 1918 | 14.9" |
| January 12-14, 1910 | 10.2" |
| February 18-19, 1908 | 12.8" |
| December 12-13, 1903 | 11.6" |
| February 3-5, 1901 | 12.7" |
| February 28, 1900 | 11.3" |
| March 23-24, 1897 | 10.0" |
| February 12-13, 1896 | 12.0" |
| February 3-4, 1896 | 12.5" |
| November 25-26, 1895 | 12.0" |
| February 6-7, 1895 | 13.4" |
| December 27, 1894 | 10.1" |
| February 12-14, 1894 | 11.0" |
| January 18-20, 1886 | 14.0" |
| 1. | 23.0 inches on January 26-27, 1967 |
| 2. | 21.6 inches on January 1-3, 1999 |
| 3. | 21.2 inches on January 31-February 2, 2011 |
| 4. | 20.3 inches on January 12-14, 1979 |
| 5. | 19.3 inches on January 31-February 2, 2015 |
| 6. | 19.2 inches on March 25-26, 1930 |
| 7. | 16.2 inches on March 7-8, 1931 |
| 8. | 14.9 inches on January 30, 1939 |
| 9. | 14.9 inches on January 6-7, 1918 |
| 10. | 14.8 inches on December 17-19, 1929 |
There have been 43 10-inch snows in Chicago's history. Snow records began in 1886. A 10-inch snow occurs about once every 3 years. Closest back-to-back 10-inch snows were March 25-26 and April 1-2, 1970 (6 days). The longest stretch without a big snow was February 10-11, 1981 to January 1-3, 1999 (almost 18 years!) |
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