(Nikita Khandelwal / Pexels)

The first snow of the season has officially hit the ground in the Chicago region, with a trace amount recorded at Rockford on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

While the appearance of the white stuff may seem a bit out of place, with so many trees still holding onto their leafy green foliage, the timing of the dusting comes right on cue. The average first date of at least a trace of snow is Oct. 31 for both Rockford and Chicago weather stations, the agency said.

Of course, there’s rarely anything average about Chicago’s weather. The first traces of snow have been measured as early as Sept. 25 (back in 1942) and as late as Dec. 5 in 1999.

When it comes to serious snowball-packing accumulation, the average date for the area notching an inch or more is Dec. 7. Mother Nature jumped the gun in 1989, when that benchmark was reached on Oct. 19. The honor of longest dry spell goes to winter 2012-13, which didn’t see its first significant snowfall until Jan. 25, 2013.

The moral of the story is, Chicago weather is unpredictable. The upcoming weekend forecast calls for temperatures to rebound into the 60s.

A few flurries managed to reach the ground at Rockford this morning, marking the first trace of snow for the season.

The Average first date of at least a trace at Rockford (and Chicago) is 10/31. https://t.co/7JEtIZleEH

— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) November 4, 2021

Contact Patty Wetli:@pattywetli| (773) 509-5623 |[email protected]