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Chicago Weather: Winter Storm Warning for lake-effect snow
Fox Chicago Meteorologist Mark Strehl has the forecast for Jan. 25, 2026.
CHICAGO - Roadways were slick and messy, and flights were being delayed or canceled as snow fell across the Chicago area through Sunday morning.
The heavier snowfall closer to Lake Michigan prompted a Winter Storm Warning through 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Fox Chicago Meteorologist Mark Strehl has the forecast.
What to Expect:
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect through 4 p.m. for Cook County with snowfall totals between 6 and 12 inches near the lake.
There hasn’t been a lot of heavy snow throughout the area, with most communities seeing about 2 to 3 inches, but it was worse, around 4 to 5 inches, along Lake Michigan.
As you trek westward, the snowfall tends to trail off.
Temperatures were expected to warm up, relatively speaking, reaching close to 20 degrees, which is still about 10 degrees below average for this time of year, but at least it’s not below zero.
Still, much of the Chicago area started in the upper single digits to around the teens. That cold could neutralize the effect of salt on the roads used to melt snow.
Major roadways, especially Interstate 55, featured slippery conditions with several cars losing control.
The Illinois State Police said between 6 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday, troopers responded to nearly 200 crashes in the Chicago area, that included more than 30 incidents involving injuries. Troopers also assisted another 71 motorists during that period.
Between O’Hare and Midway airports, there were over 600 flights canceled today, according to FlightAware.com.
It’s a good reminder to be safe on the roads today.
While the Winter Weather Advisory will move out tonight, the bitter cold is expected to return.
Parts of the Chicago area could see wind chills as low as negative 15 to negative 25 between late Sunday and Monday morning. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from midnight tonight until noon on Monday.