In Chicago, snow seasons are tracked from July through the following June. The area normally can expect 38.4 inches, according to the National Weather Service. During the 2024-25 season, the area accumulated just 17.6 inches.<\/p>\n
Chicago was warmer than average during the 2023-24 season, which meant snow was scarce then, too. Only 22.2 inches of snow fell at O\u2019Hare International Airport, which is the city\u2019s official recording site.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service\u2019s Climate Prediction Center expects a La Ni\u00f1a weather pattern<\/a> to affect winter conditions in most of the country.\u00a0For Chicago and the rest of Illinois, that could may mean a colder and wetter winter.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s 10 largest snowfalls since 1886 \u2014 and how the Tribune covered them<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of variability between La Ni\u00f1a years,\u201d cautioned Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist. \u201cDepending on what other (weather patterns) are operating and what tends to play a larger role during the winter, we could still see a lot of different variations on what La Ni\u00f1a actually brings.\u201d<\/p>\n The most snow Chicago has ever received in one season was 89.7 inches during 1978-79. The least \u2014 9.8 inches \u2014 occurred in 1920-21.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look back at how our current snowfall compares with previous seasons.<\/p>\n Data is updated through June 30, 2025.<\/p>\n Sources: National Weather Service Chicago<\/a>; Tribune archives and reporting<\/p>\n Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a> newsletter, follow Today in Chicago History<\/a>, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group<\/a> and follow us on Instagram<\/a> for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n Originally Published: July 7, 2025 at 8:10 AM CDT<\/p>\n\n