Chicago Poised to Break 100-Year-Old Temperature Record

Unseasonably warm air pushes temperatures into the 60s, shattering a long-standing daily high mark.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Chicago is on track to break a daily temperature record that has stood for over a century, as unseasonably warm air pushes the mercury into the low to mid-60s on Wednesday. Breezy southwest winds and patchy fog won't stop what could be the warmest day in more than three months, with the previous record high of 58°F set back in 1921 expected to fall.

Why it matters

Record-breaking warmth in February is highly unusual for the Chicago area, and this spike in temperatures could have significant impacts on the region's weather patterns and seasonal transitions in the coming weeks.

The details

Meteorologists say the warm spell is being driven by a surge of mild air from the southwest, with temperatures likely to reach the low to mid-60s on Wednesday. This would eclipse the previous daily record high of 58°F set on this date in 1921. The last time Chicago saw temperatures this warm was back on November 15th, when the high reached 71°F.

  • The record high of 58°F was set on February 16, 1921.
  • Chicago last reached temperatures in the 70s on November 15th.

The players

Mike Caplan

A Fox Chicago meteorologist who provided the information for this weather report.

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What they’re saying

“There are some records in the book that are what I call "oddballs." These are records which, compared with surrounding days, are either much higher or much lower.”

— Mike Caplan, Fox Chicago Meteorologist (fox32chicago.com)

What’s next

Meteorologists will continue to monitor the weather patterns in the Chicago area over the next several days, with chances of rain showers expected on Wednesday and cooler temperatures returning by the weekend.

The takeaway

This record-breaking warm spell in February serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and rapidly changing nature of the climate, underscoring the need for the Chicago region to prepare for more extreme weather events in the years to come.