Wednesday snow brings Chicago winter total up to 3 inches

Bitter cold, near-record warmth, unseasonable rain and snow. That sums up Chicago weather in just the last few days.

The area saw less than a half-inch of snow Wednesday, but that dusting of the white stuff finally put the city above the 3-inch mark for total snowfall this winter.

Forecasters said 0.4 inches of snow had fallen at O’Hare Airport as of 6 p.m. Even so, Chicago’s stingy snowfall has resulted in the lowest season total through Jan. 30 on record, according to the National Weather Service.

During the evening commute, the city sent 199 plows onto Lake Shore Drive and the main routes, and advised drivers to be cautious. The Illinois Tollway also deployed its full fleet of 182 trucks.

Snow flurries were expected to continue into early Thursday. Additional accumulation wasn't expected, but blowing snow could reduce visibility for drivers north of Interstate 88. Aside from the blowing snow, temperatures were falling.

Thursday night is also reportedly going to be the coldest night in Chicago this winter. Not necessarily due to temperature (most weather forecasts currently call for temperatures to be between 37-26 degrees) but due to the highest chance (meaning 100%) possibility of precipitation in the form of snow/rain. This combination calls for ice, which means the outside temperature will feel a lot colder than what is being reported.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/stories/Snow-Chicago-Weather-Rollercoaster-189038961.html