Presidents Day 2026 turned out to be a beautiful day off in Chicago, with highs reaching the mid-60s.
Here’s the crazy part: Monday’s temperatures broke a 105-year-old warm weather record for the Windy City!
Let’s take a look at the numbers—and see when the cold might make its return.
Chicago sees record high for February 16
Until yesterday, the warmest high on record for February 16 was 58 degrees, set way back in 1921, according to data from the National Weather Service.
However, Monday, February 16, 2026, broke that record with a toasty high of 64 degrees, according to Time and Date.
So not only was Monday warmer than normal for this time of year, temperatures reached historic heights!
Cold weather comeback later this week
If you were hoping the warm temperatures would last through to spring, we have some bad news—conditions will plummet back near the freezing mark later this week.
First, we’ll see some overnight rain Tuesday, followed by sunny skies and a high of 62 degrees on Wednesday. Not bad!
Come Thursday, however, temps will take a near-20-degree dive for a high of 48 degrees and intermittent rain throughout the day. Friday will see similar conditions, with additional rain and a high of 43 degrees.
By Saturday, skies will clear, but temps will drop even further for a high of just 38 degrees. Sunday’s high will barely reach the freezing mark, topping out at 32 degrees.
So there you have it, Chicago, Monday’s spring-like weather was a short-lived intermission—our standard winter weather programming will return shortly.