Illinois Weather: 02-22-2026

Good evening! I'm Aaron Jolly. And this is the Illinois Weather Podcast for Sunday, February 22nd. Folks, winter just remembered it still has a job. That dusting of snow overnight? Just a warm up act. The real show starts this afternoon. Chicagoland, you're up first. Snow showers roll in around 4 P.M. Accumulations stay under half an inch. But the wind is the villain here. Northwest gusts hit 20 to 25 miles an hour. By 5 A.M. Monday, wind chills make it feel like 12 degrees. The kind of cold that finds every zipper gap. Snow lingers until 3 A.M., so Monday's commute could be slick. Drive south into Central Illinois and you dodge the snow entirely. Partly sunny skies this afternoon, almost pleasant looking. Don't be fooled. Temperatures crater to 14 degrees by 6 A.M. Monday. Wind chills dip to minus 12 degrees. Your car's going to protest when you turn that key. Monday afternoon recovers to 30 degrees with sunshine. Up in Northern Illinois, light snow flirts with the area around 4 P.M. Nothing serious. The cold is the headline. Lows tonight bottom out at 12 degrees. Wind chills near minus 12 degrees. Monday warms to 28 degrees. Still below freezing, but progress. Now here's where it gets interesting. Tuesday the whole script flips. Chicagoland jumps to 41 degrees. Central Illinois rockets to 49. Gusty south winds push 35 miles an hour. Then Wednesday night, a system moves in bringing widespread rain, possibly a wintry mix north of I-59 degrees. By Friday? Highs in the 50s statewide. That's a 30 degree swing in four days. Sunrise tomorrow lands at 6:37 A.M., sunset at 5:33 P.M. You're gaining almost three minutes of daylight. Every little bit counts. I'll be tracking that midweek system closely. You'll want to check back Tuesday for the details. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow. Take care!