Record-breaking Chicago winter continues

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Chicago is experiencing a record warm winter in 2012. File art | Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 19, 2012 8:50PM

The 2011-12 Chicago winter is shaping up to be one of the warmest in history, and with 10 days left, this winter is making one last push to move up in the record books.

The 2011-2012 winter – defined as Dec. 1, 2011 through Feb. 29 – has had only 10 days with an inch or more of snow on the ground in Chicago through Feb. 15, according to the National Weather service.

By the same time last winter, Chicago had more than an inch of snow on the ground 61 times, the weather service said.

If no more snow of an inch or more falls in the final 10 days of February, this winter will be tied for sixth for the fewest days with an inch of snow on the ground at 6 a.m., the weather service said. Four winters (1931-32, 1936-37, 1943-44 and 1948-49) had only eight days with an inch or more of snow on the ground.

It’s not just the lack of snowfall that is climbing up the record books – Chicago has also seen record warm temperatures so far.

The city has had 40 days with a high temperature of 40 degrees or higher through Feb. 15, according to the record service, which is predicting several more 40-degree days the rest of the month.

The 40 days is tied for 17th for most 40-degree days in Chicago history, the weather service said. The record can not be broken, as 1881-82 had 61 days with a high of 40 or more degrees.