A confirmed tornado struck Crawford County, Illinois, on the evening of February 19, 2026, destroying a house near New Hebron and trapping occupants inside. Emergency crews responded as local authorities reported significant damage to structures and power infrastructure.
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts are forecast across parts of the Midwest and lower Ohio Valley on February 19, 2026, with an Enhanced Risk in place for southern Illinois and southern Indiana. The Storm Prediction Center warns that a few tornadoes may be strong, particularly near and south of the I-70 corridor during the afternoon and early evening.
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.
