December in Chicago (Washington, Barrington, South Barrington: rental car, rental, how much)

[Sueski]

Hello! My mom and I are planning a trip to Chicago Dec 13th for 3 nights. We are from Texas, therefore we're not familiar with snow at all. We will be staying just off of the Magnificent Mile. We will be driving one of the days. My main concerns relate to the cold/snow. So...

1. How much does it normally snow in that time frame?

2. Are we crazy? Is this "do-able" with regards to driving, walking the Magnificent Mile in the cold/snow, driving, etc.?

3. Clothing:
Which would be better as far as Coats: long wool trench, ski jacket, puffy down coat? (by the way, one day we're going to a 2pm broadway show--that wouldn't be too dressy, would it?...just thinking about the type of coat that will cover all activities)

Which is better as far as Shoes: Regular shoes, athletic shoes, regular leather boots, snow boots, something waterproof?

Will we need something like Under Armor or regular thermal leggings/shirt?

3. We aren't used to driving in the snow. Can we do this? Any tips?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Lookout Kid]

December is a crap shoot. It could be 60 degrees and sunny or it could be a blizzard. Usually we don't get much snow in December, but occasionally we do--and usuallyi December snow melts rellatively quickly. And the weather can have huge swings--being warm one day, but cold and snowy the next. You really just never know what you'll get in mid-December.

I'll say this... It's unlikely that it will be snowing, and it's unlikely that it will be cold enough for long underwear. The average December 13th high temp in Chicago is 38 degrees, and the average low is 24 degrees (but unless you're walking around at 4 a.m., you probably won't experience the low). We don't usually get much snow in December, but occasionally we'll get pummelled. January and February are the real winter months here--and the weather is more consistently winter-like in those months.

[ajolotl]

I wouldn't bet on it being 60 degrees, and though Lookout Kid might not need long underwear when it's 30 degrees, most people from warm climates do. I've had lots of visitors from places where it is warm and the biggest mistake they make in the cold months is to underdress. It feels sort of damp and windy and colder downtown than the thermometer indicates and most things are accessed by walking, so 30 degrees can be more like 20 in a practical sense. You can have a good time but err on the side of overdressing.

[Lookout Kid]

Personally, I'd just check the Chciago weather about two days before your trip. Huge snow storms don't just come out of nowhere, and we usually have a few days warning.

ajolotl may be right about people from warm-weather climates. But last year some people were visting me from Washington D.C. over the holidays, and they felt pretty foolish about all of the winter gear they brought with them. It's like they thought they were going to explore a glacier in Antarctica or something! Most Chicagoans in December will be wearing their winter coats--whether they are the dressier wool coats or the sportier puffy coats--and will only put on a hat and gloves if it's particularly cold.

[snoylekim]

As far as the question on snow driving, if you've never done it, and the snow is accumulating on the streets . DON'T !! There aren't many tips we could provide if you've never done it that won't prevent you from a minor fender bender when trying to manage a rental car ( I'm assuming) thru city traffic on snowy roads.. and we have enough folks on the roads already that have no idea on how to drive in snow in spite of living here most of their lives .. Most of the time though, at least in the city , light snow quickly turns to a wet roadway.. If you're venturing far out of the city area , be careful with driving in any snow .

[jdiddy]

I would bring one pair of gym shoes or boots you don't mind getting ruined in case it does snow when you're here.

Even after they clear the snow (and it will be cleared quickly in the area you'll be) the salt left behind can ruin a pair of shoes pretty quickly. I'd go with the above poster, err on the side of overdressing. Today its in the upper 30's, but since we haven't felt this in a while, it feels pretty damn cold. In another month, this will be a normal day for us. But not for you.

Still I'd say, any of those coats will be fine, along with a winter hat, gloves and a scarf. Dress in layers, and it shouldn't bother you.

[Sueski]

Hi Everyone! Thanks SO much for all of your tips and giving me a feel of what to expect and how to prepare. Much much appreciated!!!!!

One followup question...the main point of our trip involves having to drive 1-1/2 hrs to Merrillville, Indiana and 45 minutes to South Barrington, IL. I'm assuming the weather conditions would be similar for those locations? I guess if it was too snowy we would just have to skip them, unfortunately. I'm sure there are other things in the area we'll be staying that will keep us occupied.

Thanks again!

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Sueski

Hi Everyone! Thanks SO much for all of your tips and giving me a feel of what to expect and how to prepare. Much much appreciated!!!!!

One followup question...the main point of our trip involves having to drive 1-1/2 hrs to Merrillville, Indiana and 45 minutes to South Barrington, IL. I'm assuming the weather conditions would be similar for those locations? I guess if it was too snowy we would just have to skip them, unfortunately. I'm sure there are other things in the area we'll be staying that will keep us occupied.

Thanks again!

The streets are plowed pretty quickly. If you happen to come here when we have a huge snowstorm, which I'd probably put at 10% likely, then you'd probably want to put off driving during the storm itself. But within an hour after the snow stops, the arterial streets are fine.

[snoylekim]

hmmm..Merrillville shouldn't take 1.5 hours if you're staying downtown ( unless traffic is really horrific).. You could get there in 30 minutes in good traffic with the right route. Be sure to check the weather before you head there.. Merrillville is mildly susceptible to 'lake effect' snow, meaning it could be clear downtown and snowing down there.. AM 780 has good and frequent traffic and weather reports

[chet everett]

While jdiddy is mostly correct about the arterial streets being quickly cleared the effect on TRAVEL CONDITIONS can be all over the map -- even on a weekend if we have some freezing rain and slushy snow driving times can triple. Merrillville is pretty far inland, but sometimes "lake effect" snow is a factor in NW Indiana when Chicago is mostly clear. In a similar way, though Barrington is definately in the same weather pattern as Chicago, its distance from Lake Michigan means it is almost always MUCH cooler in the late fall, early winter. You might have fairly pleasnat conditions in Chicago, where a normal wool coat is fine, but you might need to really add heavy scarves if not a different kind of wind -resistant top layer out in 'burbs. Of course if you are only transfering from car to a friend's home you would not need to dress for a winter hike...

Certainly if things are dry then there ought to be no real impact on travel time, but if you are not used to driving in what could be very cold conditions it is worth nothing that the advice to dress in layers is equally important in a car -- relying only on bulky coats over lighter clothes is recipe for being uncomfortable. Moderately heavy pants and layers of removable sweaters are a lot more practical.