Meteorologists confounded, as snow disappears from Chicago skies [1]

January 19, 2013 – CHICAGO, Il - Whether you like it or not, we will officially break another record for no snow today, according to the National Weather Service. “It’s pretty incredible,” said NWS meteorologist Gino Izzi. “It’s the middle of January and there’s no snow on the ground. Dallas, Texas has had more snow than us.” Izzi said the last time we have gone this far into the season without a 1-inch calendar day of snowfall was Jan. 17, 1899. If we get no snow today — and there is none in the forecast through the weekend — it’s a record. Additionally, it’s been 326 days and counting since we’ve had a 1-inch snow cover on the ground. That record was officially broken nine days ago, according to Izzi. “If you think about it, we’re just a little over a month away from basically going an entire year without snow in Chicago,” Izzi said.

Izzi attributes the lack of snow, in part, to luck. “Some of it has just been luck but there have been some pretty good storms that have missed us,” he said. While snowfall is not in the stars for the area, very cold temperatures are. “We’re watching a little system Sunday night that will bring a really, really intense cold snap – the coldest we’ve been in nearly two years,” Izzi said. Highs will “struggle” to reach the teens by Monday into Tuesday. “We could have lows not very far from zero,” Izzi said. The Illinois Tollway will launch its Zero Weather Road Patrols this weekend to assist drivers stranded in their cars during times of extreme cold. –Chicago Tribune [3]

More extremes:

(Jan 18) It was a wild day for weather around much of the world today, as snow hit the southeastern United States and Britain while record heat baked Australia. In Virginia, 13 inches of snow hit some areas, while in Mississippi two to four inches fell in places, reports the AP. At least one car accident death was attributed to the weather, and thousands lost power. Meanwhile in Britain, snow and ice closed one Heathrow Airport runway for 45 minutes and caused 180 flights to be canceled.

Up to 12 inches of snow are expected in some areas around London today, according to the AP. Down under, however, much of Australia baked today. The temperature reached 114.4 degrees Fahrenheit in Sydney, breaking the old record of 113.5 set in 1939, reports AFP. Just west of the city in Penrith, the mercury climbed even higher to nearly 116. What’s being called a “dome of heat” over the country’s outback center is creating a heat wave over 70% of Australia. “The length, extent, and severity of the current heat wave are unprecedented in the measurement record,” said a government climate change report. –Newser [4]