First Chicago snowfall for 2023 projected for Halloween

If you or your kids are trick-or-treating on Tuesday, you will want to bundle up. Chicago is forecasted to see its first snow of the season on Halloween.

“It’s looking like it’s going to be cold and blustery,” said Jake Petr, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

There will be a few rounds of snow showers on Tuesday, including a possible dusting during the morning commute, he said. In the late morning to late afternoon, there will be more scattered snow showers. The snowfall could add up to as much as a half-inch of snow, Petr said.

The high temperature will be in the mid-to-upper 30s on Tuesday, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds could gust up to 30 mph, with wind chill values projected to be in the 20s in the afternoon and the lower 20s in the evening, Petr said.

Lake-effect snow is possible along the southern part of the lake.

The normal high temperature on Halloween is 56 degrees and the low is 41 degrees, according to the weather service. The warmest Halloween was 84 degrees in 1950.

The snowiest Halloween was in 2019 when the area got 3.4 inches of snow.

Although this would be only the eighth time the first snow has fallen on Halloween, Chicago typically sees its first snowfall between late October and early November, Petr said.

“The first snow can cause problems if there’s slippery travel as people are starting to get used to the transition over to kind of poor driving conditions,” he said.

Drivers should drive slowly, keep an increased following distance from the car in front of them and stay aware of their surroundings.

Petr said now is a good time to think about what to keep in the car for a winter safety kit such as an ice scraper, a shovel, blankets and an extra way to charge cell phones.

There’s an overnight freeze warning from 9 p.m. Monday until 9 a.m. Tuesday, with expected temperatures in the mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service.

Chicago’s winter forecast calls for above-normal temperatures, meaning the winter may trend a little bit drier and warmer — though this doesn’t mean Chicago won’t see snow storms.