CHICAGO — Yes, that was snow.
One-tenth of an inch fell Friday morning in Chicago, marking the first "measurable" snowfall on record for a Halloween in Chicago, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Nelson.
The snow, measured at O'Hare, marked a record that led to mixed reactions among Chicagoans and meteorologists.
At the National Weather Service offices, "Some people do" get excited, Nelson said. "I get depressed."
In 1993, a trace amount of snow fell in Chicago, but it did not rise to the one-tenth of an inch level that counts as measurable snowfall.
"It's the first ever Halloween with measurable snow," Nelson said. "I just hope this doesn't set a precedent where it keeps on going and going and going."
The 1993 trace amounts of snow were the last flakes we've seen on Halloween, according to Kevin Birk, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
On average, Chicago sees its first measurable snow on Nov. 16. The earliest measurable snowfall in Chicago was on Oct. 12, 2006, when three-tenths of an inch fell.
The snow that fell near O'Hare might be all that Chicago gets Friday morning before the weather heads to northwest Indiana. But lake-effect snow might circle back to the city by midday and continue through the afternoon, Birk said.
As of 12:50 p.m. Friday, Nelson said "they've had a few more flurries" near O'Hare.
Chicago may see another one-tenth of an inch of measurable snow, but "nothing inland," he said.
The rest of the weekend should be pretty dry but cold. Temperatures for after-school trick-or-treating should be 35 to 40 degrees, but with 20-30 mph winds, it will feel more like the mid-20s, Birk said.
Saturday should be in the 40s again but cloudy, Nelson said, while rising temperatures in the 50s and sunny skies is likely on Sunday.
The higher temperatures will continue into the beginning of next week, Birk said.
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