Illinois Weather: 02-21-2026

Good evening, folks! I'm Aaron Jolly, and welcome to the Illinois Weather Podcast for Saturday, February 21st. Here's the deal. February just pulled a fast one on us. Two inches of fresh snow on the ground this morning, and Chicago's about to get another round. Snow showers roll in around 13 degrees P.M. and hang around until about 13 degrees A.M., peaking near 10 P.M. It won't pile up much, maybe a dusting. But with winds gusting to 25 miles an hour, those flakes are flying sideways. Think snow confetti at a parade nobody asked for. Now drive south on I-55 toward Springfield. Central Illinois actually had a decent day. Sunshine pushed highs to 38 degrees around 13 degrees P.M. Enjoy that memory, because tonight's cold front has teeth. Lows crash to 18 degrees. Wind chills hit 13 degree by 8 A.M. That's a 37 degree temperature swing in half a day. Your car's gonna protest starting tomorrow morning. Up in Rockford and Northern Illinois, you're seeing highs struggling to reach 28 degrees around 13 degrees P.M. Overnight? Down to 18. Wind chills drop to 13 degrees by sunrise. The kind of cold where your nose hairs freeze on the first breath. Chicago tops out at 31 degrees tonight, then slides to 24 by morning. That northwest wind at 16 miles an hour makes it feel like 9 degrees. Single digit wind chills are back, and they brought attitude. Here's your heads up for the week ahead. Monday stays locked in the freezer. Then Tuesday pulls a plot twist. Central Illinois jumps to 50 degrees while the north hits 41. Don't celebrate too hard though. A storm system rolls in Wednesday night with rain and possibly wet snow, especially north of I-80. Friday bounces back to the 50s before another cooldown next weekend. One more thing. If you're enjoying these updates, share us with a neighbor. Helps more Illinois folks stay ahead of the weather. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow. Stay safe out there!