Chicagoans are used to winters filled with snow, ice and freezing temperatures, but this winter could be particularly rough, according to experts.
Already this week, the National Weather Service reported that flurries were expected in the Chicagoland area. Outside of the Windy City, other areas in the Great Lakes region – including Michigan – could have a harrowing winter.
While Chicago hasn’t reported its first freeze of fall and temperatures over 70 degrees are expected this weekend, “winter is coming,” as they say in Westeros.
According to a 2022-2023 winter forecast released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “below-normal temperatures are favored from the Pacific Northwest eastward to the western Great Lakes and the Alaska Panhandle.” Additionally, “wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.”
Other areas of the U.S., including the Gulf Coast and Southwest, may deal with warmer temperatures and drought due to a third consecutive year of La Niña conditions.
“Whether you’re a Chicagoland native or a freshman from California experiencing your first Windy City winter, it’s not hard to understand why Chicago is infamous for having one of the harshest winters in the country,” said a recent Northwestern University article.
It said that the city gets an average of 28.1 inches of snowfall each winter and has an average temperature of 26.4 degrees. That doesn’t factor in wind chill from Lake Michigan. However, the article noted that climate change has even impacted Chicago’s notorious winters, which have warmed an average of 3.2 degrees since 1970.
Even as winters have gradually become warmer, people in the Midwest are still going to experience cold temperatures and see “a lot” of snow, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. This week, WWJ’s “The Daily J” caught up with the almanac’s editor, Peter Geiger.
“January is the month you really want to look at,” he said. Geiger predicts “brutal” temperatures in addition to piles of snow that month.
If the thought of a brutal winter seems scarier to you than the latest “Halloween” movie, the National Weather Service wants to help.
“We are hosting two free virtual winter weather preparedness and spotter training sessions in early November!” the service tweeted Friday.
“Learn about winter weather safety, science, and the forecast for the upcoming winter.”
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