Chicago is experiencing unseasonably mild temperatures, with a 10.7-degree Fahrenheit deviation from the five-year historical average for January 29, 2025. While residents may welcome the warmer weather, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns that these conditions could lead to ice jam flooding as river ice thaws and breaks apart.

Dry, gusty conditions in Northeastern Illinois led the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for the entire Chicago area Monday. Here's a breakdown of what it means.

The combination of strong winds, dry conditions, and warm temperatures increases the risk of wildfires, particularly in grassy or wooded areas.

A wind advisory and a fire weather watch were issued Monday for parts of the Chicago area, the National Weather Service said, with dry air and gusty winds of up to 50 miles-per-hour possible at times.

St. Louis and parts of Illinois face a cold start to the week, with NWS issuing advisories and temperatures dropping sharply.

Trainings for Illinois residents looking to join the National Weather Service's severe storm spotter program will be held virtually for the first time this year. There will also be in-person Community Weather Preparedness training sessions.

A cold weather advisory was in effect Saturday to Monday across all of north and central Illinois. Wind chills in Chicago could hit minus 22 Sunday and minus 21 Monday. City officials are urged to expand capacity at warming centers and keep them open 24 hours.

The Old Farmer's Almanac, which has been in business since 1792, recently released its spring weather forecast. The outlook? "Warmer-than-normal temperatures for most of the country, with a few exceptions: southern and central California, Desert Southwest, southern Florida, and western Ohio Valley, where it will be near to below normal."

See how the groundhog became a symbol for predicting seasonal changes in America, rooted in German folklore with a badger — which in turn lead to Groundhog Day.

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 30, according to the Tribune’s archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Servic) High temperature: 55 degrees (1988) Low temperature: Minus 23 degrees (2019) Precipitation: 0.

The billionaire Wall Street CEO fielded questions about tariffs, China's AI progress, broadband access, allegiance to Trump and the revival of American mining and semiconductor production.

While temperatures are expected in the low 50s Thursday, National Weather Service officials cautioned a storm system on the horizon could possibly create localized ice jam flooding on rivers.