Chicago has earned its reputation as one of America’s snowiest major cities, but even by Windy City standards, some winter storms stand out as truly devastating. The streets that normally buzz with constant traffic became treacherous obstacle courses. Schools closed, airports shut down, and entire neighborhoods found themselves buried under towering white drifts. These blizzards didn’t just inconvenience commuters, they rewrote the record books and reshaped how the city approaches winter emergency planning.
From storms that toppled mayors to blizzards that stranded thousands of motorists for hours, Chicago’s worst snowstorms have become legendary tales of survival and municipal crisis management. Let’s explore the six most catastrophic snow events that brought the nation’s third-largest city to its knees.
The Great Blizzard of 1967 – January 26-27
The Chicago blizzard of 1967 struck northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana on January 26–27, 1967, with a record-setting 23 inches of snow fall in Chicago and its suburbs before the storm abated the next morning. As of 2024, it remains the greatest snowfall in one storm . What makes this storm particularly remarkable is the dramatic temperature swing that preceded it. Remarkably, the storm was preceded by unseasonable warmth – it was 65 degrees just two days before the snow appeared.
The snow fell continuously in Chicago and surrounding areas from 5:02 am on Thursday, January 26 until 10:10 am Friday when 23 inches had fallen. The storm was a full-blown blizzard, with 50 mph-plus northeast wind gusts creating drifts as high as 15 feet. Plowing was rendered ineffective as the snow fell because the blizzard winds blew the snow back on the freshly plowed roads, stranding vehicles on expressways and arterial streets alike. The human toll was devastating, with over 50 people dead and there was significant economic impact from the storm.
The New Year’s Blizzard of 1999 – January 1-3
Chicago received a recorded 21.6 inches. The storm hit just after New Year’s Day, between January 2 and January 4, 1999. This blizzard earned its place in history not just for snow totals, but for the comprehensive chaos it created across multiple states. Chicago broke a one-day snowfall record with 18.6 inches falling on January 2…