After cold snap to start the new year, National Weather Service forecasts milder temps ahead

The new year began with a cold advisory from the National Weather Service on the North Shore. With real temperatures below zero and strong winds, according to NWS meteorologist Jonathan Wolf, some parts of Cook County saw windchills as low as -25°F.

The NWS forecast shows cold temperatures going into the weekend, with single-digit highs on Friday and Saturday’s highs in the low teens. Saturday also comes with a chance of snow. Wolf told WTIP on Jan. 1, “As far as precipitation, you’ll see bouts of snow, just like basically conversational snow, snowflakes in the air both today, probably Saturday morning, and then again, Sunday into Monday.”

The chance of snow on Saturday comes with a forecast of less than an inch of accumulation. The Sunday night forecast predicts one to three inches of snow in the county.

Sunday also marks a shift in the temperature forecast, with highs in Grand Marais predicted to reach the low 20s. And after the cold weekend, Wolf said the temperatures should continue to rise. “You will notice a definite warm up come Monday,” he said, adding that North Shore residents can expect highs in the upper 20s and even low 30s going into the rest of the week.

Jonathan Wolf spoke to WTIP’s CJ Heithoff on North Shore Morning on Jan. 1. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski January 2, 2026