NBC Chicago meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explains that after the warmest September in 64 years, Chicagoans might be in for a colder and wetter winter.
The days may still be getting shorter, but that won't be the case for the rest of the year.
Soon, the shortest day of the year will arrive and days will slowly start getting longer from there.
The shortest day of the year is actually known as the winter solstice, marking the official start of winter.
According to the Farmer's Almanac, the winter solstice is when the earth is "tilted as far away from the Sun as possible, which means that the Sun’s path across the sky is as low in the sky as it can be."
The solstice typically falls on either Dec. 21 or Dec. 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the "shortest day" of the year, or the day with the least amount of sunlight.
This year, it falls on Dec. 21, with the solstice itself taking place at 3:21 a.m. CST.
This does not, however, mark the earliest sunset.
Weather
According to Time and Date, that will actually fall earlier in December, when the sun sets at 4:19 p.m. CST on Dec. 13.
Here's what to know about the winter season ahead:
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When does winter start?
The answer to this question depends on which "start to winter" you recognize.
Meteorological winter - which is used by meteorologists to describe the three months of December, January and February - started on Dec. 1. This description is used as a way to monitor weather patterns.
But the more commonly used astronomical winter starts much later.
That day comes on the winter solstice.
What will winter look like for Chicago this year?
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's latest winter weather outlook for 2024-25, which says a "La Niña" winter is expected, which would ultimately result in a "wetter than normal" winter in the Great Lakes, especially in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
According to Kevin Jeanes, the predictions are a far cry from the Chicago winter of 2023-24 -- an El Niño winter -- which wound up to be the fourth warmest winter on record.
The winter precipitation outlook for the Chicago area is expected to be above average, Jeanes said.
For 2024-25, the big question will be whether or not temperatures will cause that precipitation to fall in the form of rain or snow.
According to Jeanes, NOAA predicts "equal chances" of temperatures being above or below average. Across the Northwest however, a much colder winter is expected, Jeanes noted.
