Honestly, if you're living anywhere near Joliet, you already know the drill. One day you’re wearing a light jacket, and the next, the air feels like it’s trying to bite your face off. Tomorrow, Monday, January 19, 2026, is definitely looking like the latter.
It’s gonna be cold. Like, "don't leave the house if you don't have to" cold.
The Big Chill
The high for weather in Joliet IL tomorrow is only hitting 4°F. Yeah, you read that right. Single digits. And when the sun goes down? We’re looking at a low of -2°F.
📖 Related: Bubba's 33 Goodyear Menu: Why the Pizza and Burgers Actually Live Up to the Hype
Most people see a "high of 4" and think they can handle a quick run to the store. But you’ve gotta factor in that west wind. It’ll be blowing at about 18 mph, which means the "RealFeel" or wind chill is going to be significantly deeper into the negatives. We are talking about the kind of cold where frostbite can start setting in on exposed skin in under 30 minutes.
What to Expect Hour-by-Hour
The day starts off partly sunny, which is a bit of a tease. Don't let the blue sky fool you through the window.
✨ Don't miss: Song of the Wind Suzuki Explained: What Most People Get Wrong
- Morning: Expect bone-chilling temps right out of the gate. A Cold Weather Advisory is officially in effect from 3:00 AM until 10:00 AM. If you're commuting, give the car an extra ten minutes to warm up. Your battery is going to feel this one.
- Afternoon: We’ll reach that "peak" of 4°F. Humidity will sit around 56%, so it’s a dry, stinging cold. There's a tiny 10% chance of snow, but nothing that’s going to require a shovel. It’s mostly just "diamond dust" or a few stray flurries.
- Evening: Once the sun sets (which is around 4:52 PM these days), the sky clears up. While clear skies are pretty, they mean we lose all our surface heat. It’s going to drop fast.
Why This Matters for Your Monday
Since tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a lot of people have the day off, but if you were planning on taking the kids to a park or doing anything outdoors, maybe rethink that.
The National Weather Service is being pretty clear about the hazards here. This isn't just "winter in Illinois"—it's a specific Arctic push. We’ve seen these patterns before where a clipper system moves through and leaves this frozen vacuum in its wake.
Basically, your priorities tomorrow should be:
- Check your pipes. If you have a kitchen sink on an outside wall, leave the cabinet doors open.
- Pet safety. If it’s too cold for you, it’s way too cold for them. Keep the walks very short.
- Layers. If you must go out, the old "base layer, insulating layer, shell" rule is the only way to survive an 18 mph wind at 4 degrees.
Looking Ahead
The good news? This isn't a permanent deep freeze. By Tuesday, we should see things "warm up" into the 20s. It’s all relative, right? But for tomorrow, the weather in Joliet IL is all about staying inside and keeping the thermostat up.
Stay warm, Joliet. Keep an eye on your neighbors, especially the elderly ones, because this kind of temperature drop can be tough on home heating systems.
Actionable Steps for Tomorrow:
- Limit outdoor exposure between 3:00 AM and 10:00 AM during the peak advisory hours.
- Cover all exposed skin if you are heading out; the wind chill will make 4°F feel closer to -15°F.
- Check vehicle tire pressure, as extreme cold often triggers sensor alerts.