Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

'Snowpocalypse' Incoming? Winter 2017 To Be Super Snowy, Cold ... And Long

By Kelly Bauer | October 7, 2016 9:39am | Updated on October 8, 2016 8:55am
 This winter is going to have a lot more snow than Chicago saw last year — maybe 15 inches more.
This winter is going to have a lot more snow than Chicago saw last year — maybe 15 inches more.
View Full Caption
Will Bentke

CHICAGO — This winter is going to have a lot more snow than Chicago saw last year — maybe 15 inches more.

Last year's mild winter only dropped about 31 inches of snow on the city, while this year could bring 45 inches of the white stuff, said AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Smerbeck. Normally, Chicago only gets 36-37 inches of snow.

It will be a "big change from last year. Last winter was like nonexistent," Smerbeck said.

AccuWeather is predicting Chicago will get hit with smaller storms in December, and another batch of storms is expected to dump more snow on the city in February, Smerbeck said.

But the snowfall should be at its worst during the "heart of the winter," Smerbeck said, and meteorologists are also expecting to see snow dumped on the city in late November and the beginning of spring in March.

"There could be some bigger snowstorms, some stronger snowstorms that bring more significant snow to Chicago," Smerbeck said. But "if you were to get a couple inches here, a couple inches there, [more snowfall] might not be noticeable."

RELATED: Chicago's Fall Weather: It'll Be Hot ... Until Snow Hits Early

The snow isn't the only thing to look out for: It's expected to be a colder-than-usual winter, too.

Chicago will be 6-7 degrees colder than it was last year throughout the winter, Smerbeck said, and 2 degrees colder than normal. That difference will be noticeable to people who enjoyed last year's warmer-than-usual weather.

"When you compare it to last winter, it will be a much colder winter," Smerbeck said.