If you’re standing on Michigan Avenue today, January 15, 2026, feeling that familiar bite on your cheeks, you’re experiencing the real Chicago. Honestly, it’s one of those days where the sky looks deceptively friendly, but the thermometer tells a different story.
Right now, Chicago is sitting in the wake of yesterday’s cold front. We’re looking at temperatures struggling to hit a high of 27°F. That sounds manageable for mid-January, right? But the wind is the real culprit here. With a 12 mph breeze coming off the west, the "real feel" or wind chill has been hovering around 11°F. It’s the kind of cold that finds the gap between your scarf and your coat in about three seconds flat.
The Breakdown: What’s Actually Happening Outside
The National Weather Service out of Romeoville has been busy today. They recently downgraded the remaining Winter Storm Warnings to advisories, mostly because that heavy lake-effect snow stayed east of the city, hammering Porter County instead. For those of us in the Loop or out by Midway, it’s mostly just a few clouds and a lot of dry, cold air.
The humidity is sitting low at 48%. Basically, your skin is going to feel it.
- Current Temp: 21°F to 24°F (climbing toward a 27°F peak).
- Sky Conditions: Mostly sunny with a few lingering clouds.
- Wind: West at 12 mph, gusting higher near the lakefront.
- Visibility: Clear for 10 miles—great for driving, tough for staying warm.
Why This Winter Feels "Off"
You’ve probably heard people at the coffee shop complaining that this winter has been a total rollercoaster. They aren't wrong. This 2025-2026 season has been weirdly aggressive. By early December, Chicago had already seen 17.1 inches of snow. To put that in perspective, that’s almost the entire total for the previous year’s winter, and we hit that mark before Christmas even arrived.
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It’s the quickest start to winter we’ve seen since 1978.
But today? Today is the "calm" before the next shift. If you think this 27-degree afternoon is the worst of it, you’re in for a surprise.
The Weekend Rollercoaster: Rain, Snow, and Arctic Air
Here is the thing about weather chicago right now—it never stays the same for more than six hours.
Tonight, temperatures are actually going to rise slightly after an evening dip. Why? Because we have breezy south-southwest winds moving in. By Friday, we might actually crack the freezing mark and hit 35°F.
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Don’t leave your heavy parka at home, though.
That "warmth" is just the leading edge of another Arctic front. By Sunday night, the floor drops out again. We are looking at strong northwest winds that will likely cause patchy blowing snow and a return to those "stay inside and order Lou Malnati's" temperatures.
Expert Take: The "Blob" and Lake Michigan
Climate experts, including those tracking the "warm blob" in the North Pacific and the record-high water temperatures in Lake Michigan this past autumn, predicted this volatility. Usually, a warmer lake means more lake-effect snow early in the season. We saw that in December. Now, as the lake cools down, we’re shifting into a pattern of dry, "Siberian" cold snaps followed by rapid, 24-hour thaws.
It’s messy. It’s inconsistent. It’s Chicago.
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How to Handle the Next 48 Hours
If you’re commuting or planning a trip to Soldier Field for the upcoming playoff action (where temperatures are expected to be near zero with the wind chill), you need to change your strategy.
- Seal the Gaps: Today’s 12 mph wind isn't a gale, but it's consistent. Wind chill is the primary risk for frostbite right now, especially on exposed ears.
- Watch the Friday "Thaw": As we hit 35°F tomorrow, expect a lot of slush. When the Arctic front hits Friday night, all that slush is going to turn into a sheet of black ice by Saturday morning.
- Check the Humidity: With dewpoints at a measly 6°F, the air is incredibly dry. It’s a good day to actually use that humidifier you bought last year.
Honestly, the best advice for Chicago weather right now is to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts this afternoon. The visibility is perfect, the skies are clear, and while it’s "Chicago cold," it’s not "Record-Breaking cold"—at least not until Sunday night.
Keep an eye on the lakefront paths; even without a major storm, the spray from the lake can freeze instantly on the concrete when the temps are this low. Stay warm out there.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Prepare for Saturday Morning: Since temperatures will drop sharply Friday night after a brief thaw, salt your walkways before sunset on Friday to prevent ice bonding.
- Monitor the Arctic Front: Check local radar Sunday afternoon; the transition from southwesterly winds to northwesterly winds will happen fast, bringing a "flash freeze" risk to the evening commute.