Temperatures soared to their highest levels of 2025 on Friday afternoon, reaching 60 degrees in several locations. Powerful southwest to west winds reached 50 mph. The unseasonably mild readings were the warmest since last November.
This marked five consecutive days with highs of at least 50 degrees. Only 11 other Februarys since records began in 1871 have logged five or more consecutive 50-plus degree days. The mild temperatures were widespread across the Rockies and Midwest.
Highs were more than 20 degrees above normal for many areas, including 75 degrees in St. Louis. As Meteorological Winter ends at midnight Friday night, the lack of snowfall has been noteworthy. Both major observation sites have recorded 40% or less of the typical snow since December 1.
This makes it the least snowy December through February period in Chicago in 88 years, since the winter of 1936-37.
Chicago experiences record warmth in February
Despite the low snowfall this Meteorological Winter, temperatures will finish nearly a degree below normal for the December through February period, at -0.8 degrees.
However, this is an impressive 7.6 degrees cooler than the same period a year ago. It’s going to be a chilly night in Chicago with clear skies and temperatures dipping into the teens. Sunday brings sunshine, but highs will only reach the upper 30s.
A bit of a break is in store for Monday as milder air moves in, but rain chances pick up for the first half of the week, with the best chance for rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures opened Saturday near 20 degrees, but gusty northerly winds made it feel like single digits, even approaching 0 degrees in some locations. Afternoon highs barely reached 30 degrees, which is nearly 30 degrees colder than Friday afternoon’s unseasonably mild readings.
A buckling northwest jet stream out of Canada is responsible for bringing the return of late season arctic air. Despite the chill, March and April are typically the fastest warming months in Chicago. Normal highs increase from 41 degrees on March 1 to 65 degrees by April 30.
March also sees a noticeable increase in daylight, gaining 1 hour and 25 minutes by the end of the month.
Image Credits: Photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
