Illinois Weather: 02-21-2026

Good evening! I'm Aaron Jolly, and welcome to the Illinois Weather Podcast. It's Saturday, February 21st. Folks, winter just called and said it's not done with us yet. Here's the deal. We've got two completely different stories playing out across the state tonight. Down in Chicagoland, snow showers are rolling in this afternoon. The heaviest stuff lands around 10 P.M. About a coin flip on whether you see real accumulation. Temperatures sit near 31 degrees through the evening, then slide to 24 by 7 A.M. Sunday. But here's the thing. Northwest winds at 16 miles an hour make it feel like 9 degrees when you step out tomorrow morning. That's the kind of cold that finds every zipper gap in your jacket. Drive south to Central Illinois and it's a different world. Dry skies, a high of 38 degrees around 13 degrees P.M. today. Almost pleasant. Then the bottom falls out. By tomorrow morning you're at 18 degrees. Winds at 17 miles an hour push that wind chill down to 13 degree around 8 A.M. One. Single. Degree. Northern Illinois? You're seeing highs of just 28 degrees today. Tomorrow morning drops to 18 with wind chills near 13 degrees. Bundle up if you're heading anywhere before noon. Here's your heads up for the week ahead. This cold snap doesn't last. By Tuesday, Central Illinois jumps to 50 degrees. Chicagoland climbs to 42. Northern Illinois hits 41. Feels like a completely different season. Wednesday night brings our next weather maker. Rain mixing with snow north of I 80. Then Friday bounces back with sunny skies and highs near 50 statewide. One more thing. If this forecast helped you plan your weekend, share it with a neighbor. Word of mouth keeps us going. Stay safe out there. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.