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If Chicago’s weather has felt like a chaotic roller coaster lately, you’re not imagining it. After a burst of springlike warmth over the weekend, the city is now dealing with a late-season blast of snow, wind and bitter cold that’s making Monday feel more like January than mid-March.
The messy weather began Sunday when a cold front pushed through the region, sending temperatures plunging and turning rain into snow overnight. By early Monday morning, much of Chicagoland was under a Winter Weather Advisory as accumulating snow and strong winds created difficult travel conditions across the region.
Forecasters say 1 to 3 inches of snow are likely across much of the area, with slightly higher totals possible closer to Lake Michigan and in far northwestern suburbs. Some counties northwest of the city were placed under a Blizzard Warning, where winds gusting up to around 45 miles per hour could create blowing snow and occasional whiteout conditions.
The timing hasn’t been ideal. The heaviest snow is expected during the first half of the day, contributing to slippery roads and travel headaches across the region. Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at O’Hare and Midway airports and Illinois Tollway crews have deployed their full fleet of snowplows to keep highways passable.
According to the National Weather Service, the steadiest snow should taper off by mid- to late morning today, although blowing and drifting snow could linger through the afternoon in some areas.
Once the snow winds down, though, the cold is just getting started. Behind the storm system, a push of Arctic air will sharply drop temperatures. By Monday afternoon, temperatures will be in the low to mid-20s and by evening, they could drop into the teens, with wind chills in the single digits overnight.
Tuesday morning will likely bring the coldest conditions of the week, with wind chills possibly dipping below zero in some areas and daytime highs struggling to reach the mid-20s—well below Chicago’s typical mid-March average of about 45 degrees.
By Wednesday, temperatures should rebound into the low 40s, and Thursday could feel downright pleasant with highs in the low to mid-50s and some afternoon sunshine. Friday, which marks the spring equinox, is expected to bring partly cloudy skies and temperatures again in the mid-50s.
Chicago’s latest blast of snow and cold looks more like winter’s final curtain call than a long-term comeback. If the forecast holds, the city should be back to springlike weather by the end of the week.