Since Thanksgiving does not occur on the same date each year, temperature and precipitation values ​​can vary dramatically.

Here’s a look back at the hottest, coldest, wettest and snowiest Thanksgiving weekends in Chicago, dating back to 1872. Data is from National Weather Service and was measured at the city’s official recording site, which has been O’Hare International Airport since January 17, 1980. For nearly a century before that, locations around downtown Chicago, the University of Chicago, and Midway International Airport were used to collect definitive weather data.

Vintage Chicago Tribune: Thanksgiving Parade turns 90

Warmest

Chicago experienced its warmest Thanksgiving on November 24, 1966, when it was 69 degrees.

The year 2023 was the highest 48 degrees.

Coldest

Chicago experienced its lowest low Thanksgiving temperature at November 23, 1950when it was -1 degrees.

2023 was the lowest 32 degrees.

Wettest

Rain accumulating to more than 1 inch of precipitation has occurred once since 1872, according to it National Weather Service.

But at least a little bit of rain tends to fall on Thanksgiving — precipitation ranging from a trace to more than an inch has fallen in more than half of the nearly 150 years on record.

Snowiest

Since 1872, snowfall on more than one track has only been recorded 17 times on Thanksgiving.

A record snowfall on 3 inches dropped at O’Hare airport on November 27, 1980.

Sources: National Weather Service Chicago; Tribune archives and reporting

Subscribe for free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join ours Chicagoland History Facebook Group and follow us further Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.