The Chicago area is waking up to another cold fall morning as freeze warnings and frost advisories for nearly all of Northeastern Illinois continue, with similar conditions expected again Thursday morning, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
The conditions come after a day of chilly, wet weather that left hail piled up some Chicago patios and sidewalks in a scene that looked strikingly similar to a dusting of snow.
According to the National Weather Service, a freeze warning was in effect until 9 a.m. for McHenry, DeKalb, Kane, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy and Kenosha Counties, with sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 degrees. In Lake, northern Cook, Will and Kankakee Counties, a frost advisory was in effect through 9 a.m., with temperatures as low as 32 degrees, the NWS said.
"Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possible damage outdoor plumbing," the NWS said.
According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, Wednesday will be a drier day and slightly warmer day, with high temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
By Thursday, temperatures were expected to rebound into the 60s, Roman said. But before that, another round of frost was in the forecast, though warnings and advisories hadn't yet been issued.
"Widespread frost and near to sub-freezing temperatures are expected again tonight away from Chicago and the lakeshore, resulting in an end to the growing season for much of the area," the NWS said of Wednesday night into Thursday morning. "Be sure to cover sensitive plants or bring them indoors!"
Local
Widespread frost and near to sub-freezing temperatures are expected again tonight away from Chicago and the lakeshore, resulting in an end to the growing season for much of the area. Be sure to cover sensitive plants or bring them indoors! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/p8q3KkitKh
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) October 16, 2024
Friday, temperatures were expected to reach a high of 70 degrees, with even milder conditions leading into the weekend, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
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When is Chicago's average first frost?
According to the NWS, the typical first freeze of the fall occurs in mid-October for most of the Chicago area, ranging between Oct. 11 and Oct. 20.
"We are basically right on schedule," Roman said Wednesday.
The exact average date for the first freeze in Chicago is Oct. 19, with areas closer to the lake seeing that date slide into the last week of the month or even into the first week of November due to the proximity to Lake Michigan.
For the rest of the suburbs, the first freeze typically occurs earlier, occurring around Oct. 13 in Rockford.
According to Roman, the earliest first freeze for the Chicago area on record occurred Sept. 22, 1995. The latest first freeze was Nov. 24, 1931, Roman said.
In 2023, Chicago’s first sub-freezing temperature didn’t occur until Oct. 30, when the low temperature was 31 degrees. The following day -- on Halloween -- the city saw nearly an inch of snow, its first measurable snowfall of the season.
