Public Works crews from Arlington Heights remove a heavy, large tree that fell across Arlington Heights Road Friday predawn during high wind gusts January 9, 2026 (Video available thanks to a tip to CARDINAL NEWS). YouTube Tips ⓘ
Peak winds occurred occurred early Friday morning (pre-dawn) January 9, 2026 during a low pressure system in the area. The highest gust speed at O’Hare International Airport was 55 MPH from the southwest (230°). The National Weather Service at Chicago O’Hare International Airport reported a record high temperature of 60°F for January 9, and record high rainfall of 1.92 inches for January 9. The record temperature for O’Hare International Airport was also tied at 60°F. The low temperature for Friday, January 9, 2026 occurred at 11:59 p.m., and was 40°F.
The normal high temperature for January 9 is 32°F.
The normal low temperature for January 9 is 19°F.
A strong low pressure system tracked through the Midwest on January 8th into the 9th, bringing record warmth, thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds to the area. The counterclockwise spin of the approaching low pressure system sucked up warm humid air from the southeast United States, where severe thunderstorms and tornadoes were reported. In Chicagoland, unusually heavy rainfall (for the wintertime) fell during the evening of the January 8, 2026, resulting in several instances of flooding across Chicagoland, especially where there was a narrow corridor of 1-3” rainfall totals.
A powerful line of thunderstorms produced at least two radar-confirmed tornadoes in Mississippi around 6:30 a.m. CT. These storms were powered by a cold front from a cross-country storm that’s delivering heavy rounds of rain to millions east of the Mississippi River, as parts of the Deep South and Gulf Coast remain in the bullseye for significant flash flooding and severe storms through Friday (FOX Weather). YouTube Tips ⓘ
Strong winds occurred in some areas of Chicagoland during the evening of Thursday, January 8, 2026, and across the whole area overnight into Friday, January 9, 2026. Many locations observed peak wind gusts of 50 mph or greater, primarily during the overnight/predawn hours.
In Arlington Heights, Illinois on Arlington Heights Road north of Euclid Avenue, a large tree snapped at the trunk about 12 feet above the ground, and the heavy upper trunk and branches fell across all lanes of Arlington Heights Road.
The first phase of the weather system also brought unseasonably mild air into the area, with temperatures peaking in the low 60s across most locations in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
The following daily weather records for January 8th and 9th were broken during this event:
Chicago:
The 1.92″ inches of rainfall observed at O’Hare Airport on the 8th broke Chicago’s daily rainfall record for January 8th (previously 1.18″, set back in 1935).
The high temperature of 60 degrees observed at O’Hare Airport at midnight on the January 9, 2026 tied Chicago’s daily high temperature for January 9th (originally set back in 1880). According to NWS Chicago, 60°F was also recorded at 5:31 a.m.
Rockford:
The high temperature of 59 degrees observed at Rockford Airport on January 8, 2026 broke Rockford’s daily high temperature for January 8th (previously 55 degrees, set back in 1965).
The high temperature of 58 degrees observed at Rockford Airport on the January 9, 2026 broke Rockford’s daily high temperature for January 9th (previously 56 degrees, set back in 2002).
Here is some additional climatological context for just how unusually warm and wet it got for this time of year:
January 8th ended as Chicago’s 3rd rainiest January day on record …
#1 is January 12, 1960 with 2.76″ of rain;
#2 is January 10, 1975 with 2.29″ of rain.
Including January 8th and January 9th, there have now been a total of 36 days across 26 unique years in Chicago’s recorded history where a temperature of 60°F or greater was observed in the city in the month of January. Chicago’s period of record for temperatures dates back to 1872, so Chicago observes a 60 degree day in January approximately once every 4-6 years, on average.
Prior to the 8th, the last time Chicago had observed a 60 degree temperature in the month of January was on January 29, 2013.
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