Snowfall history / Chicago
Chicago snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Chicago O'Hare International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Chicago, recorded 34.1 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 4.3 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 38.4 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 17.6 in (2024-25) to 49.5 in (2018-19). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Chicago area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Chicago snowfall over the last three winters at O'Hare
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at O'Hare | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 22.2 in | 38.4 in | 16.2 in below |
| 2024-25 | 17.6 in | 38.4 in | 20.8 in below |
| 2025-26 | 34.1 in | 38.4 in | 4.3 in below |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, O'Hare averaged 32.2 in a season.
The biggest Chicago snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at O'Hare from winter 2016-17 through winter 2025-26. Each total is the heaviest three-day stretch of a storm, taken from daily observations, with no day counted twice. A storm that fell in one or two days shows the days it snowed.
| Rank | Dates | Snowfall at O'Hare |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan. 30-31, 2021 | 10.8 in |
| 2 | Feb. 9-11, 2018 | 10.7 in |
| 3 | Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2025 | 10.1 in |
| 4 | Feb. 13-15, 2021 | 9.9 in |
| 5 | Nov. 25-26, 2018 | 8.4 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Chicago office keeps longer histories. The late-January 2026 storm measured 4.4 in at O'Hare, covered in the January 24-26, 2026 recap. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Chicago snowfall varies across the metro
Lake Michigan is the big variable. When cold air blows across the lake, it picks up moisture and warmth from the water and drops it as snow downwind. A wind off the lake can bring extra snow to the shore and to places farther downwind, including northwest Indiana, while a wind from the west keeps those bands away from the Illinois shoreline.
The lake also changes temperature near the water. In a storm that is marginal, the lakefront can see rain or a mix while the western suburbs stay all snow. O'Hare sits inland, northwest of downtown, so its record may not show what a shoreline neighborhood saw. For that reason, the station total is a good picture of the winter and a rough guide to a single neighborhood.
How to get the snow total for a specific Chicago address
A Free Snow Report calculates the total for the street address and storm dates you enter, from nearby stations and trained observers, and emails it as two PDFs.
- Open the request page and verify your email. There is no password.
- Enter the street address, then pick the storm dates. One storm per report, up to three days, within the last ten years, and the last day must be at least two days ago.
- Get the Verified Report and the Full Report by email.
Each verified email gets three free reports. After that, a report is $39, and a ZIP pass covers many reports in one ZIP code for 12 months. Details are on the pricing page.
About these numbers
All station totals come from the official National Weather Service record for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, read through the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Where the preliminary climate report and the final archive differ by a few tenths on one day, this page uses the final archive. They are totals at one station. They are not an estimate for an address, and they are not a certified copy of the record. For certified copies, NOAA NCEI sells them through its data certification service.
Questions people ask
How much snow did Chicago get last winter?
At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 34.1 in of snow. That is 4.3 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 38.4 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Chicago snowfall totals by year?
At Chicago O'Hare International Airport: 2023-24 22.2 in, 2024-25 17.6 in and 2025-26 34.1 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 32.2 in, from 17.6 in (2024-25) to 49.5 in (2018-19). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Chicago in the last ten years?
At O'Hare, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Jan. 30-31, 2021 (10.8 in), Feb. 9-11, 2018 (10.7 in), Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2025 (10.1 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Chicago office.
What is the normal annual snowfall in Chicago?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Chicago O'Hare International Airport is 38.4 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 32.2 in.
Does Chicago get lake-effect snow?
Lake Michigan can add snow near the shore when cold wind blows across the open water, mostly for places downwind of the lake. O'Hare sits inland, northwest of downtown, so its record may not reflect shoreline bands. That is one reason totals vary across the metro.
Does the O'Hare total apply to my address in the Chicago area?
Not exactly. It is one measurement at one site. Snow can differ by several inches across a metro area in the same storm, depending on terrain, distance from water and where bands set up. For a specific property, a report for the street address calculates the total for that spot.
How do I find out how much snow fell at my address in Chicago?
Request a Free Snow Report at freesnowreport.com/request. Enter the street address and the storm dates, and the total for that spot arrives by email as two PDFs. Each verified email gets three free reports, then a report is $39 or a ZIP pass covers many.
Where do these Chicago snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, read from the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Normals are the NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
Sources
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers: ACIS station data (official National Weather Service records)
- National Weather Service: daily climate data (used to check season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: daily summaries archive (second check on season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
- National Weather Service: NOWData climate data
- National Weather Service Chicago office
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online