Winter storm warnings and watches have been issued across a broad swath of the United States due to a long-duration winter storm forecast to affect the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley to the Midwest, Great Lakes, Appalachians, and parts of the Southwest.
Extreme cold warnings and watches were issued across large parts of the central and northern United States on Thursday, January 22, 2026, as a deep Arctic air mass spread southward, producing wind chills as low as −48°C (−55°F).
Multiple tornadoes, including an EF-1 with peak winds of 158 km/h (98 mph), touched down in Illinois on Sunday, December 28, 2025, with significant damage and power outages being reported across Tazewell, Christian, and Macon counties.
Arctic air driven by the polar vortex has prompted extreme cold warnings across parts of Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia on December 14, 2025. Wind chills between −21°C (−6°F) and −30°C (−22°F) are producing dangerous conditions capable of causing frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes.
Powerful bands of lake-effect snow brought traffic on parts of Interstate 57 (I-57) south of Chicago, Illinois, to a standstill amid whiteout conditions on the morning of November 10, 2025. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned drivers to use extreme caution as snowfall rates exceeded 7 cm/h (3 in/h) in localized bands, producing near-zero visibility and hazardous travel across portions of northeastern Illinois.
Multiple school districts across Chicago and northwest Indiana announced closures, delays, or transitions to e-learning for Monday, November 10, 2025, due to a powerful storm that brought the region’s first snow of the season.
Severe thunderstorms caused flash floods across the Chicago metropolitan area on Friday, July 25, 2025, with over 150 mm (6 inches) of rainfall reported in Bridgeview within just two hours.
A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for central Fayette County, Illinois between 23:08 local time (LT) on July 20, 2025, and 02:15 LT on July 21, after 130–150 mm (5–6 inches) of rain.
A violent tornado struck south of Marion in Williamson County, Illinois between 18:00 and 19:00 CDT on May 16, 2025, prompting the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a rare tornado emergency for the area. The tornado destroyed homes near Market Road, caused significant structural damage across southern Marion, and formed part of a broader Midwest outbreak that killed at least 16 people.
The first-ever Dust Storm Warning for the Chicago metro area was issued on May 16, 2025, as winds of up to 113 km/h (70 mph) carried dust into the city. The storm reduced visibility to near zero and affected major routes across Chicago and surrounding areas.
