Halloween weather: Snow showers, low visibility for trick-or-treaters, motorists Tuesday evening

Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune
·2 min read
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Trick-or-treaters may masquerade as icicles as they face near-freezing temperatures and snow showers Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologist Zachary Yack said nighttime temperatures would be in the low- to mid-30s with wind gusts up to 35 mph, with “on and off snow showers through a good chunk of the evening.”

The wind chill is expected to be between 18 to 25 degrees, Yack added.

At O’Hare International Airport, the forecast is high of 36 for the afternoon, low of 27 tonight, heavy snow and blustery then partly cloudy. Tuesday afternoon’s high clocked at Midway Airport in at around 36 degrees, with a low of 29 for Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Children and families planning to trick-or-treat Tuesday night should wear layers, he said: “Anything they can do to bundle up is recommended, anything they can do to keep warm out there tonight.”

Yack said the typical low temperature for Oct. 31 is “somewhere in the lower 40s.” Tuesday night’s low will likely be in the mid-20s, he said.

It may start to warm up later in the week, Yack said, but the chilly weather will persist at least through Wednesday.

Motorists should also take caution Tuesday evening, he added.

“Snow showers can reduce visibility really quickly,” Yack said.

There hasn’t been much snow accumulating on roadways, but drivers should leave extra travel time, drive slowly, use their headlights and ensure plenty of distance between vehicles, he said.

A National Weather Service statement from early Tuesday afternoon warned drivers throughout the Chicago area to be cautious on bridges, overpasses, ramps and quiet roads due to “occasional bursts of heavier snow” with visibility as low as a mile.

Today’s storm makes it the ninth Halloween with snow recorded in Chicago. The snowiest Halloween on record for Chicago was 2019, with 3.4 inches reported at O’Hare International Airport, the city’s official recording station, making it the second-heaviest October snowfall since Oct. 19, 1989.