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City in Illinois, United States
Chicago
Great Lakes city with cold, windy winters and regular snow off the plains and Lake Michigan.
Forecast updated , when it was 04:00 in Chicago (GMT-6).
Chicago snow forecast
Next 24 hours
Rain or snow this morning.
Starting around 5am, easing by 6am. 0–6 cm in the next 24 hours. Temperatures are close to 0°C, so some of it may fall as rain.
Possible, forecast models disagree
No snow is forecast for Chicago in the next 7 days, though one weather model shows a little. Expect temperatures from 1 to 4 °C (34 to 39 °F), the freezing level near 550 m (1,800 ft) and gusts up to 43 km/h (27 mph) over the next day. Bluebird days are likely on Sunday and Tuesday, with clear skies and no snow forecast.
- Temperature now
- 2 °C (36 °F)
- Freezing level
- 550 m (1,800 ft)
- Wind
- 17 km/h (11 mph), gusts 38 km/h (24 mph)
- Sky now
- Overcast, 94% cloud
Will the snow settle in Chicago?
Unlikely to settle.
It's too mild for snow to stay on the ground for long.
Chicago hour by hour
Peak about 0.5 cm per hourShow the hours as a table
| Time | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| 5am | Rain or snow | Under 0.1 cm |
| 10am | Rain | None |
| 11am | Rain or snow | 0.3 cm (0.1 in) |
| noon | Rain or snow | 0.2 cm (0.1 in) |
| 1pm | Rain or snow | Under 0.1 cm |
| 4pm | Rain or snow | 0.5 cm (0.2 in) |
| 5pm | Rain or snow | 0.2 cm (0.1 in) |
| 6pm | Rain or snow | Under 0.1 cm |
| 11pm | Rain or snow | 0.5 cm (0.2 in) |
Hours not listed are dry. Times are local (GMT-6).
Chicago 7-day snow forecast
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Chance of snow1 to 4 °C (34 to 39 °F) · gusts 43 km/h (27 mph) · freezing level 650 m (2,100 ft) | 0–5 cm (0–2 in) |
| Sat | Chance of snow0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F) · freezing level 1,050 m (3,400 ft) | 0–2 cm (under 1 in) |
| Sun | Bluebird2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F) · freezing level 1,700 m (5,600 ft) | No snow |
| Mon | Sunny2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F) · freezing level 2,800 m (9,200 ft) | No snow |
| Tue | Bluebird3 to 11 °C (37 to 52 °F) · freezing level 3,250 m (10,700 ft) | No snow |
| Wed | Cloudy3 to 13 °C (37 to 55 °F) · freezing level 3,800 m (12,500 ft) | No snow |
| Thu | Cloudy8 to 14 °C (46 to 57 °F) · gusts 42 km/h (26 mph) · freezing level 3,300 m (10,800 ft) | No snow |
Sky is graded over the ski day, 9am to 4pm. Bluebird means at least two of the three models show clear skies all day, none shows overcast, and no snow or rain is forecast. Models are weaker on cloud than on snow, and none of them can see valley fog, so treat it as a good sign rather than a promise.
Chicago 14-day snow outlook
Days 8 to 14. Only two of our three models run this far ahead, and forecasts at this range often change, so read this as a guide to the pattern rather than a plan.
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 20 Nov | Cloudy8 to 11 °C (46 to 52 °F) | No snow |
| Sat 21 Nov | Some sun6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F) | No snow |
| Sun 22 Nov | Some sun8 to 13 °C (46 to 55 °F) | No snow |
| Mon 23 Nov | Rain5 to 12 °C (41 to 54 °F) | No snow |
| Tue 24 Nov | Rain2 to 6 °C (36 to 43 °F) | No snow |
| Wed 25 Nov | Sunny0 to 5 °C (32 to 41 °F) | No snow |
| Thu 26 Nov | Some sun1 to 4 °C (34 to 39 °F) | No snow |
How much snow is there in Chicago?
No snow on the ground
This is an estimate from weather models, not a measurement, so it can differ from the depth a resort reports on its pistes.
Where is Chicago?
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 265 m
- Population
- 2,746,388
When does it snow in Chicago?
In Chicago, snow falls on about 5 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 5 days | 2 days | 2 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 2 days | 3 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Chicago month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 29% | −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F) |
| February | 5 | 23% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| March | 2 | 13% | 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F) |
| April | 2 | 9% | 5 to 13 °C (41 to 55 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 17 to 26 °C (63 to 79 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 19 to 27 °C (66 to 81 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 17 to 24 °C (63 to 75 °F) |
| October | <1 | 1% | 10 to 17 °C (50 to 63 °F) |
| November | 2 | 11% | 2 to 9 °C (36 to 48 °F) |
| December | 3 | 14% | −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F) |
Snow in Chicago in December
In December, Chicago gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F).
Snow in Chicago in January
In January, Chicago gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 29% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F).
Snow in Chicago in February
In February, Chicago gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 23% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Chicago in March
In March, Chicago gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Chicago?
Of the last ten winters in Chicago, 2018/19 was the snowiest, about 61% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 37% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 26 November 2018.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 66% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 105% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 161% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 117% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 127% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 105% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 80% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 78% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 63% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 98% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Chicago
Does Chicago have snow at Christmas?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 4 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow at New Year?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 7 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow in mid-February?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 9 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow at Easter?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Chicago?
It snows on about 18 days a year in Chicago, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 5 days.
What is the snowiest month in Chicago?
January is the snowiest month in Chicago, bringing about 29% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Chicago?
Of the last ten winters in Chicago, 2018/19 was the snowiest, about 61% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 37% below average.
How cold does Chicago get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Chicago, with average daily lows of −6 °C (21 °F) and highs of 1 °C (34 °F).
Snow forecasts near Chicago
Sources: Chicago on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates