Snow has arrived in Chicago! And the first measurable snow of the 2024-2025 season was impressive. According to the National Weather Service’s Chicago office, 2.9 inches of snow fell at O’Hare International Airport.

This week brings the first significant snowfall of the season to the Chicago area. Snow is expected to fall at least through the early afternoon before changing over to cold November rain.

The Chicago area is seeing its first snow of the season this week, with the heaviest snow expected to impact the region in the mid-to-late morning hours.

Chicago experiences higher temperatures longer than outlying suburbs due to the urban heat-island effect. Its location next to Lake Michigan’s warm waters explains why the city and nearby suburbs freeze later in the year than their farther-out counterparts.

Temperatures rose above freezing areawide Thursday afternoon and will hold steady or even rise further overnight into Friday morning.

Snow and rain are in the forecast for some parts of the U.S. as travelers hit the road and head to the airport for Thanksgiving.

While the bulk of the moisture from a passing cold front could miss the Chicago area, significantly colder temperatures can be expected into the holiday weekend.