A little cold weather is nothing that the resilient residents of the Midwest can't handle, but this week's weather was only a fraction of what is predicted to cover the Windy City in the coming months. According to WGN9, temperatures this Winter are predicted to be average for the region, meaning that you will likely not have to brace for round two of 2019's polar vortex. The level of snowfall however, could be greater than recorded in previous years. On Monday, Chicago experienced its first snow of the season. Despite being a mere dusting, the snow nearly broke a record for arriving as early as October 17th.
WGN9 mentioned that the average temperature this Winter is predicted to waiver around 26.4 degrees. In terms of snowfall, it is predicted that 5.77 inches could arrive during the coldest months of the year. WGN9 noted that the Climate Prediction Center has yet to release their yearly findings, but there are speculations that lead to the belief that this Midwestern Winter could be one for the books.
Unusually cold waters in the Pacific Ocean in addition to unusually warm waters surrounding the Gulf Of Alaska could cause "polar air pockets" to dump snow on certain American regions, one being a large portion of the Midwest that includes Chicago.