14 photos that capture Chicago’s first big snow

One of the worst winter storms hit as travelers were heading back after Thanksgiving. Just overnight Chicago catapulted straight into winter and is setting records for one of the snowiest Novembers.

On Sunday night and into Monday morning O’Hare International Airport saw a total of 8.4 inches of snow and winds reaching 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service Chicago. That bad weather combined with power outages led to about 1,300 cancelled flights at O’Hare compared with just 73 cancellations at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

The northwest suburbs faced the majority of snowfall and 11.7 inches of snow was dumped on Rockford. Beginning Sunday evening, more than 340,000 of mostly suburban homes and businesses lost electricity when trees knocked out power lines, according to the Chicago Tribune. On Monday, hundreds of suburban schools were closed and every Metra line was delayed, the newspaper reported.

The storm was the second measurable snowfall for November, which makes this month the sixth snowiest November in Chicago history with a total of 12 inches, according to NWS Chicago. The snowiest November on record is 1940 with 14.8 inches. As for the largest November snowstorm in the city’s history, that happened on November 25 and 26 in 1895 when 12 inches fell.

While we spend a lot of time hiding out during the winter season, it can be nice to find something to appreciate in one of the first big snowfalls of the year. Below we’ve gathered 14 photos that might help you forget your snow-shoveling woes or hellish holiday travel and remember the magic of winter’s first snow.

• Light snowfall arrives early in November [Curbed Chicago]