Weather officials are warning Chicago area travelers to take extra precautions this New Year’s Eve as 2025 is expected to go out in an icy fashion.
After a round of snow through Thursday afternoon, temperatures are due to plummet by early evening, reaching freezing by 6 p.m., according to Todd Kluber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chicago. Temperatures will continue to drop as the clock nears midnight, dipping to the upper teens with wind chills at or just above zero degrees by the time the new year rolls around, Kluber said.
The cold snap combined with recent snow could make for slippery conditions, particularly by early evening Wednesday and overnight into Thursday. Kluber urged anyone traveling, especially with New Year’s Eve celebrations going on across the city, to heed caution on roadways.
The Chicago Transit Authority is again offering free New Year’s Eve rides on trains and buses. The rides will be available starting Wednesday at 10 p.m. through 4 a.m. Thursday.
Forecasters expect temperatures to stay frosty through New Year’s Day, with highs hanging around the upper teens to low 20s. By the weekend, conditions will thaw slightly, as the forecast calls for temperatures to heat up to just below freezing Saturday and Sunday, weather officials say.
For the most part, conditions are poised to stay mostly dry into the weekend, Kluber said, with the possible flurry here and there.