October cold snap brings winter weather preview to Chicago area – GNT NEWS

The early arrival of cold temperatures, strong winds and the first snowflakes in the Chicago area on Monday gave residents a mostly unwelcome winter preview.

The National Weather Service issued the region’s first winter weather forecasts for Porter and Jasper counties, though they were canceled late Monday night after the system turned east, hitting St. Joseph.

Harsh winters regularly visit Portage, Indiana, with its location on Lake Michigan bringing plenty of wind and lake-effect snow, but this early taste of winter was still unwelcome.

“It’s just not right, it’s not Halloween yet and it’s already like Christmas.” said Dave Faitak.

Temperatures dropped into the low 40s with winds consistently exceeding 20 miles per hour. Several shoppers in the parking lot of Strack & Van Til grocery store wore winter coats and hoods pulled up to keep warm.

“I’m not ready for it,” Patrice Williams said. “You expect it in December and you expect it in January, but now? Not now.”

Williams said she can handle what winter has to offer, but the early arrival of cold and snowflakes makes it difficult to survive.

“I’m waiting until Thanksgiving,” Williams said. “Let me eat my Thanksgiving food first.”

Many other customers were looking forward to a few more weeks of typical fall weather before having to endure the worst parts of the Midwest winter.

“It’s very depressing, very depressing,” said Angela Blackburn. “[I] he’d definitely rather wait a little longer for it to be this cold.”

“I had the top down last week,” Faitak said, standing next to his convertible. “This week, another story.”