While temperatures are expected in the low 50s Thursday, National Weather Service officials cautioned a storm system on the horizon could possibly create localized ice jam flooding on rivers. Current conditions at O’Hare International Airport Wednesday morning are mostly cloudy at 36 degrees.

Chicago is experiencing unseasonably mild temperatures, with a 10.7-degree Fahrenheit deviation from the five-year historical average for January 29, 2025. While residents may welcome the warmer weather, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns that these conditions could lead to ice jam flooding as river ice thaws and breaks apart.

Dry, gusty conditions in Northeastern Illinois led the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for the entire Chicago area Monday. Here's a breakdown of what it means.

A wind advisory and a fire weather watch were issued Monday for parts of the Chicago area, the National Weather Service said, with dry air and gusty winds of up to 50 miles-per-hour possible at times.

It seems like, every day, the weather authorities introduce a brand new term to define the winter-like conditions that Chicagoans have to constantly deal with.

Trainings for Illinois residents looking to join the National Weather Service's severe storm spotter program will be held virtually for the first time this year. There will also be in-person Community Weather Preparedness training sessions.

As Chicago braces for dangerously cold temperatures, you may notice some changes in the weather advisories issued by the National Weather Service.

Freezing winds are expected to remain in the area until Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday morning are expected to be the coldest periods of the stretch. Monday's high will be 10 and the low minus 6. Tuesday's high will be 5 and the low minus 1,

Monday, the temperature is expected to drop to minus 3 at O’Hare International Airport. A low of minus 7 is expected at O’Hare Tuesday.

Chicago faces cloudy skies and potential snow with risks of slick travel conditions and a plunge in temperatures by the weekend.

The National Weather Service issued two advisories from 6 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday, and from 9 p.m. Monday to noon Tuesday.

The combination of strong winds, dry conditions, and warm temperatures increases the risk of wildfires, particularly in grassy or wooded areas.