Will it snow in Chicago?
Chicago, Illinois · checked 4:08 pm CDT, Mon Oct 19
This week: the National Weather Service forecast
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Chicago for the next 7 days.
NWS forecast for central Chicago, issued 1:21 pm CDT, Mon Oct 19. It covers about 7 days and is updated several times a day.
The whole 7-day forecast
- This Afternoon: Sunny. High near 64, with temperatures falling to around 62 in the afternoon. East southeast wind around 0 mph.
- Tonight: Patchy fog after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. East southeast wind 0 to 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Sunny. High near 64, with temperatures falling to around 62 in the afternoon. East wind 0 to 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. East southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 66. South southeast wind 0 to 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 66.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.
NWS forecast for Chicago · Weather alerts in Illinois · Winter storm outlook
How often it snows in Chicago
Chicago averages 38.4 inches of snow a year in NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals (from 25 years of snowfall records in 1991–2020).
Measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) fell in 27 of the 27 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records — about 100%.
In the winters that had any, the median date of the first measurable snow was November 17, and of the last April 4. The earliest first snow came on October 12, 2006.
The snowiest of those winters was 2013–14, with 82.0 inches.
The snowiest month on average is January, with 11.3 inches.
On average there are 27.8 days a year with at least 0.1 inch of snowfall.
Average snowfall by month, 1991–2020
| Month | Snowfall |
|---|---|
| October | 0.2 inches |
| November | 1.8 inches |
| December | 7.6 inches |
| January | 11.3 inches |
| February | 10.7 inches |
| March | 5.5 inches |
| April | 1.3 inches |
Months with none on average are left out.
Will Chicago have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Chicago a 34% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps.
The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 21%.
These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
White Christmas in Chicago: every Christmas Day since 1991
Where these numbers come from
Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual, monthly and daily station normals) for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, GHCN-Daily station USW00094846, 28 km from the city centre. First and last snow dates, the share of winters with snow and the snowiest winter were counted by this site from the same station's daily snowfall for the winters 1991–92 to 2020–21, read through the Regional Climate Centers' ACIS service; a winter with more than 10 missing days between October and April is left out. Forecast: the National Weather Service API, read at most once an hour. All US government data, public domain.
This site does not issue warnings or predict snow. It repeats the official forecast and the long-run record.
NOAA's winter outlook 2026–27 for Illinois
Questions
Will it snow in Chicago this week?
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Chicago for the next 7 days. The National Weather Service updates its forecast several times a day.
Will it snow in Chicago this winter (2026–27)?
Nobody can say for a whole winter ahead. In the 27 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records, measurable snow fell in 27, and the 1991–2020 average is 38.4 inches a year. NOAA's seasonal outlook gives the chances of a colder or wetter winter than normal, not snow totals.
When does Chicago usually get its first snow?
In the 27 winters that had measurable snow, the median date of the first one was November 17; the earliest was October 12, 2006.
Will Chicago have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Chicago a 34% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps. The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 21%. These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
Will it snow in other US cities?
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