The Block Club Chicago Podcast Chicago Sees Longest Winter Freeze In 19 Years -- But Relief Is Coming
Feb 3, 2026
Bill Snyder, WGN-TV meteorologist known for decades of Chicago weather coverage and as Tom Skilling’s longtime producer. He explains why this winter has stayed below freezing, ties the pattern to a weak La Niña and a wavier jet stream, and walks through snowfall totals and historic freeze comparisons. He also previews an imminent brief warm-up followed by lingering winter risks.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Colder-Than-Normal But Not Historic
- Chicago's average temperature for the first two months of winter was about 24.3°F, 3.5°F below normal.
- This is the coldest winter in 12 years but not as severe as 2013–14, showing persistence rather than historic extremes.
Weak La Niña Drives Wavier Jet Stream
- A weak La Niña tends to produce a more wavy jet stream that allows cold Arctic air to dip south more often.
- That pattern helped make this winter colder and snowier than recent mild winters.
Longest Sub-Freezing Streak In Nearly 20 Years
- Chicago hit 17 consecutive sub-freezing days by Feb 2 and was expected to reach 19 days, the longest freeze streak in nearly 20 years.
- The last comparable streak was 22 days in early 2007, underscoring the rarity of this persistence.