Honestly, if you're looking at the forecast for weather chicago il 60625, you're probably standing in a drafty Albany Park bungalow or trying to figure out if the Brown Line is going to be a nightmare this morning. It’s Saturday, January 17, 2026, and let's be real: it’s cold. Not "grab a light sweater" cold, but "my face hurts after thirty seconds" cold.
Right now, the mercury is sitting at a crisp 18°F. But that number is a total liar. Thanks to a 15 mph wind whipping in from the west, the feels-like temperature is a brutal 3°F. If you’re heading out toward Lawrence Avenue or grabbing a coffee near the Kimball station, you’re looking at cloudy skies and a 10% chance of some stray flakes. It’s basically peak Chicago January.
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The 60625 Reality Check
Living in the 60625 zip code—covering Albany Park, North Park, and parts of Ravenswood Manor—gives you a specific kind of weather experience. We aren't right on the lake, so we miss some of that immediate "lake effect" intensity that hits Lakeview or Edgewater, but we get the full force of the wind sweeping across the flat plains of the West Side.
Today’s high is only hitting 19°F, and we’re expecting light snow throughout the afternoon. Tonight, it drops to 14°F with snow showers. If you're planning on driving, just know the west wind is going to stay steady around 16 mph. It’s the kind of wind that finds the one gap in your scarf and makes you regret every life choice that led you to the Midwest.
What the Next Few Days Look Like
Tomorrow, Sunday the 18th, isn't much of an upgrade. We might hit 21°F, but the snow showers are sticking around.
Then comes Monday.
Monday, January 19, is going to be a legitimate test of your furnace. We’re looking at a high of 8°F and a low of 6°F. That is not a typo. Even with the sun popping out occasionally, the wind is going to kick up to 19 mph. If you have pipes on an exterior wall in one of those older two-flats, maybe leave the tap dripping. Seriously.
Why January in 60625 Hits Different
Most people think Chicago weather is just "cold," but there’s a nuance to it. Historically, the average high for this time of year is around 32°F. We are well below that right now.
Actually, the record low for Chicago in January was a terrifying -27°F back in 1985. While we aren't hitting those catastrophic numbers this week, the consistency of this 2026 cold snap is draining. We’ve got a string of days where the temperature barely breaks the teens.
- Tuesday (Jan 20): A slight "heat wave" up to 27°F, but more snow at night.
- Wednesday (Jan 21): Reaching 29°F. This will feel like spring compared to Monday.
- Thursday (Jan 22): Back down to 21°F with mostly cloudy skies.
The Flooding and Heat Island Factor
One thing nobody talks about with weather chicago il 60625 is the geography. Albany Park has a "minor" to "moderate" flood risk because of our proximity to the North Branch of the Chicago River. When we get these snow-and-thaw cycles—like the one we might see toward the end of next week when we hit 29°F—the drainage can get weird.
Also, despite the freezing temps now, this neighborhood is a "heat island" in the summer. All that concrete and asphalt traps heat, making our "feels like" temps in July way higher than the suburbs. But for now, that's a distant dream. Right now, the concern is the 54% humidity and the constant gray.
How to Actually Survive This Week
Forget the "ultimate guides" you see online written by people in California. If you're in 60625, you need the "North Side Survival" strategy.
First, stop wearing cotton. Seriously. "Cotton kills" is a saying for a reason; it absorbs moisture and stays cold. Switch to wool or synthetics. If you're walking to the Kedzie Brown Line, your base layer is the most important thing you own.
Second, let’s talk about your car. If you’re parked on a side street like Sunnyside or Wilson, check your battery. Cold kills old batteries faster than anything else. And for the love of everything, don't be the person who clears a "circle" on their windshield and drives off. Clear the whole thing. The west wind at 15 mph will blow that loose snow right back onto your glass the second you hit 30 mph.
Third, look out for your neighbors. We have a lot of older residents in Albany Park. If the sidewalk in front of a neighbor's house isn't shoveled by Sunday night, maybe give them a hand. The snow showers on Sunday will probably leave enough of a coating to be slick, especially since Monday’s 8°F deep freeze will turn any unshoveled slush into solid iron.
Practical Steps for the 60625 Deep Freeze
Check your window seals. If you feel a draft, that plastic film you shrink-wrap with a hair dryer actually works. It looks a bit tacky, but it’ll save you $40 on your Peoples Gas bill this month.
Open your cabinet doors. If your kitchen sink is on an outside wall, open those cabinet doors tonight. Let the 68°F air from your house get to those pipes so they don't freeze when we hit that 6°F low on Monday.
Check your "Go Bag" if you drive. You should have a blanket, a small shovel, and some cat litter (for traction) in the trunk. If you get stuck on the Kennedy Expressway or a side street in this 3°F wind chill, you’ll be glad you have it.
Move your plants. If you have a succulent or a tropical plant sitting on a windowsill, move it. That glass is going to be radiating cold all through Monday, and it’ll kill your greenery before you even notice.
Lastly, keep an eye on the snow totals. We aren't expecting a "snowpocalypse," but the 20% to 35% chances of snow showers every single day through next Saturday mean the accumulation will sneak up on you. Shovel a little bit every day rather than waiting for the whole mess to freeze into a block of ice by next Tuesday.