Winter in the Chicago Area-First snow

After having nearly two feet of snow dumped on the Chicago area, it is hard to remember that the first snow of the season is a beautiful and somewhat magical sight. We got our first appreciable snowfall in December and I took some photographs in Huntley and Palos Hills.

This is the pond at The Timbers in Palos after a snowfall.

The same pond in warmer weather.

First snowfalls at Sun City, Huntley:

While there are many great things about Illinois, the weather is not one of them. We get long, cold winters, frequently with lots of snow as well as hot, humid Summers. I’ve read that global climate change is a contributing factor to the snowier winters in North America. The biggest snowfall in my lifetime, however, came in 1967. This year was the third largest accumulation since snowfall has been recorded, with the second largest snowfall in 1999. The last five years have been very snowy.

Even with the snow and cold weather, Chicagoans are a hardy group of people used to dealing with the elements. There are lots of stories of people being stranded this time, along with stories of the total strangers who helped them. The Midwest has a well deserved reputation for being friendly.

With the winter there are opportunities for activities such as sledding, tobogganing, and snowmobiling. Palos Hills, where some of these pictures were taken has a large toboggan slide, as well as forest preserves for cross country skiing. Cross country and snowmobiling are popular in the Huntley area as well.

The Chicago area is a vital area and a place to enjoy a variety of year around activities.