Why an inch of snow still set a record

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	Mike Stalka of Amaya out of Aurora clears snow at the Foundry Business Park in St. Charles after a minimal snowfall early Friday morning.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Barrington Public Works workers Ian Hooderhyde, left, and Kenneth Kellner were busy Friday salting the roads after an early morning snow.   Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer
	Judi Cellini walks along Cook Street in Barrington with her dog, Lily, despite the early morning snow. She walks a mile every morning while getting a cup of coffee.   Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer
	School bus driver Clint Curtis brushes off his car after finishing his morning run Friday in Barrington.   Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

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Chicago didn't get much snow Friday, but it was record-breaking nonetheless.

The 1.1 inches that settled on Windy City streets and sidewalks marked the latest first seasonal snowfall of at least an inch in the Midwest metropolis since at least 1884, when records were first kept, National Weather Service forecaster Matt Friedlein said. The previous record was set on Jan. 17, 1899.

Friday also broke Chicago's longest streak of consecutive days without an inch of snow. The city went 335 days, or about 11 months, without at least an inch, Friedlein said.

For some people, Friday's snow was significant for another reason: They finally got to work.

"This is the first time we've had a blade down this year," said Clara Mark, a dispatcher at Chicago Snow Removal Services, which plows parking lots at condominium complexes, strip malls and factories.