Current weather, chance of snow – NBC Chicago

This week, temperatures in the Chicago area rose from 50 degrees to below-zero snow flurries and wind chills, with a warming trend and rain forecast for the weekend. But what exactly does Chicago’s Christmas forecast say?

According to NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman, those hoping for snow this Christmas likely won’t get their wish.

When looking at the extended weather outlook for Chicago, Roman noted that Chicago is expecting above-average temperatures between December 20th and 26th.

That means the National Weather Service is predicting temperatures will likely be above 34 or 35 degrees, Roman said, although models could change.

Warming trend in Chicago’s weekend forecast

“Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?” Roman said Friday about the expanded weather outlook for Chicago. “Maybe you’re just dreaming.”

And while Friday started cold, with temperatures in the single digits and even lower wind chill, there was a warm-up on deck, starting with temperatures reaching into the upper 20s and lower 30s Friday afternoon.

“It’s cold this morning, but not as icy as yesterday morning,” Roman said, recalling wind chills as low as -20 degrees on Wednesday as an arctic blast swept through the area.

By Saturday, temperatures were expected to reach a high of 40 degrees, Roman said, and there would be rain in the afternoon.

Snowflakes could mix with showers in the west around 1 p.m., Roman said. All precipitation is expected to turn to liquid by around 3 p.m. as the rain moves east.

Scattered showers will occur across the Chicago area around 4 p.m., with rain continuing Saturday night into Sunday morning.

While these showers will gradually end Sunday morning, another round of rain was expected Sunday night, with the rain expected to continue into Monday morning on the commute.

Temperatures are expected to be even warmer on Sunday, Roman said, with highs in the low to mid 40s and a high of 52 degrees on Monday.

What Christmas weather usually looks like in Chicago

According to the National Weather Service, “White Christmas” is a holiday when there is at least 1 inch of snow on the ground, regardless of whether that snow fell on Christmas Day.

NWS data shows that Chicago has had a “white Christmas” about 41% of the time since records began in 1884.

That number includes 2022, when there was an inch of snow on the ground to mark the holiday, according to the NWS Weather Almanac.

The highest snowfall Chicago ever recorded on Christmas Day itself was 5.1 inches, a mark set back in 1950.

The following year, Chicago recorded its highest snow depth with 17 inches of snow on the ground during the holiday.

The warmest Christmas temperature ever recorded in Chicago dates back to 1871 and is 64 degrees, which was reached in 1982.

The coldest maximum temperature recorded in Chicago on Christmas actually came the following year in 1983, with a high of minus five degrees. The lowest temperature that day was minus 17 degrees, the coldest temperature ever recorded on Christmas.

In 2022, the high temperature in Chicago was just 14 degrees, making it the seventh coldest Christmas on record.

In 2023, Christmas temperatures in Chicago were above average.