Snow totals Chicago, IL
As of October 8, 2026, Chicago has recorded no snowfall for the 2026-27 season. The normal amount of snow that would have fallen by this date is 0.1 inches, while the full-season average for the city is 37.4 inches. The reading is a station observation from Chicago O'Hare International Airport in the GHCN-Daily network. NOAA quality-checks the reading.
as of
Data from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, with records back to 1958. 99 percent of days since 1958 carry a reading, and the 2025-26 season reached 100 percent.
Most recent snowfall
2026-27 has produced no measurable snow at this station so far.
How much snow did Chicago get?
| Snowfall to date | 0.0 inches | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Normal to date | 0.1 inches | 1991-2020 normal through October 8, 2026 |
| Departure from normal | -0.1 inches | |
| Snow days | 0 | days with measurable snowfall |
| Biggest day | n/a | |
| Last snow day | n/a | |
| Season average | 37.4 inches | 68 seasons on record |
In Chicago, the median first measurable snow lands on November 18, GHCN-Daily records show. The earliest date on record is October 12 and the latest is January 9, a span that starts in 1958. The median first inch lands on December 1, with the earliest on October 19 and the latest on January 25.
Chicago snow season totals
| Season | Snowfall | Snow days |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 34.1 inches | 33 |
| 2024-25 | 17.6 inches | 21 |
| 2023-24 | 22.2 inches | 17 |
| 2022-23 | 20.2 inches | 24 |
| 2021-22 | 32.8 inches | 27 |
| 2020-21 | 48.8 inches | 29 |
| 2019-20 | 34.8 inches | 29 |
| 2018-19 | 49.5 inches | 37 |
| 2017-18 | 36.1 inches | 31 |
| 2016-17 | 26.1 inches | 15 |
| 2015-16 | 31.2 inches | 24 |
| 2014-15 | 50.7 inches | 35 |
| 2013-14 | 82.0 inches | 51 |
| 2012-13 | 30.1 inches | 29 |
| 2011-12 | 19.8 inches | 18 |
Station observations from GHCN-Daily, with a 1 to 3 day lag and quality checks.
Snowfall days at each threshold in Chicago
| Season | 1+ in. | 3+ in. | 5+ in. | 10+ in. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Average | 11.3 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
A day counts when its snowfall total meets or passes the column amount, from Chicago O'Hare International Airport records in GHCN-Daily. The final row averages all 68 complete seasons, running from 1958 onward.
All-time snowfall records
| Biggest day | 18.6 inches | Jan 2, 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Snowiest season | 83.7 inches | 1978-79 |
| Least snowy season | 10.4 inches | 1997-98 |
| Average season | 37.4 inches | 68 seasons on record |
| Record begins | 1958 | 24,603 daily readings |
Monthly snowfall normals
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inches | 11.3 | 10.7 | 5.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 7.6 |
Normals, the 1991-2020 average, come from NCEI.
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