No freeze warning for Chicago right now
Freeze Warning in Chicago, IL? Protect Your Pipes Tonight
When a freeze reaches Chicago, the pipes most at risk run through exterior walls, crawl spaces, attics and garages. Let those faucets drip, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, keep the heat at 55°F or higher and find your main shut-off now. If a pipe has already burst, shut the main and call (888) 840-6512: the line is answered 24/7 and reaches an IICRC-certified restoration company covering your ZIP, which gives you an arrival window for your address on the call. Most water damage jobs in Chicago run $2,000–$11,000.
Press 1 for water damage or 2 for mold, then your 5-digit ZIP. The line goes quiet for about half a minute while it connects — that is normal, stay on. If it does not connect, call once more: companies taking calls change minute to minute.
Live status checked Nov 3, 10:58 PM ET · Source: National Weather Service, forecast zone ILZ104
Chicago freeze status
No freeze, hard freeze or extreme cold alert covers Chicago at the moment. The first hard freezes usually reach the northern states in late October and the South between December and February. This page updates on its own when the Weather Service issues one, and the official Chicago forecast shows the overnight lows.
How often Chicago gets cold enough to freeze pipes
In NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the nearest weather station, Chicago averages 106.3 nights a year at or below 32°F and 41.2 at or below 20°F, the temperature at which pipes in unheated spaces start to freeze. The median first 20°F night is Nov 29, so finish winterizing before then. Compare Chicago with 500 other U.S. cities.
Chicago's weather and your pipes
Chicago operates on a combined sewer system — storm drains and sanitary sewers share the same pipes — which backs up raw sewage into basements 20–30 times per year during heavy rain events throughout Humboldt Park, Austin, Lawndale, and other West Side neighborhoods. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's TARP (Tunnel and Reservoir Plan) deep tunnel system captures 10.6 billion gallons of overflow but fills to capacity during multi-inch rainfall events, causing neighborhood-level basement flooding that affects tens of thousands of homes in a single storm. Chicago's polar vortex winters (record -29°F in January 2019) drive massive pipe burst claims — January and February generate more emergency water damage calls than any summer month combined. Lake Michigan North Shore wave action during November through March nor'easters causes coastal flooding in Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Evanston lakefront properties. Chicago's clay-heavy glacial till soil and flat terrain give stormwater nowhere to go — 100-year flood events that previously occurred once per generation now happen every 5–7 years as rainfall intensity increases.
Before, during and after a freeze in Chicago
1. Before it gets cold
Disconnect garden hoses, shut and drain outdoor spigots if you have an inside valve, and walk to your main shut-off so you can find it in the dark.
2. The night of the freeze
Let faucets on exterior walls drip, open the cabinet doors under those sinks, keep the thermostat at 55°F or higher even if you are away, and keep the garage door closed.
3. If a pipe freezes
Leave the faucet open and warm the pipe from the faucet end with a hair dryer or heating pad, never an open flame. If water does not return, look for a split before it thaws.
4. If a pipe bursts
Close the main shut-off, switch off power to wet rooms at the breaker, photograph everything, then get the water out and the structure dried before mold starts in 24 to 48 hours.
More for Chicago
Cook County, Illinois
Chicago freeze questions
Is there a freeze warning in Chicago tonight?
Not as of Nov 3, 10:58 PM ET. This page reads the National Weather Service feed for Chicago's forecast zone every 30 minutes and changes the moment a freeze, hard freeze or extreme cold alert is issued.
At what temperature do pipes freeze in Chicago?
Uninsulated pipes in unheated spaces are at risk once the air around them stays at or below about 20°F for several hours. In Chicago, as anywhere, the pipes that freeze first run through exterior walls, crawl spaces, attics and garages. A pipe usually splits while frozen and floods when it thaws.
What should I do if a pipe bursts in Chicago?
Shut off the main water valve, open the lowest faucet to drain the lines, turn off power to any wet room at the breaker panel, and photograph the damage. Then get the water out and the walls and floor dried with moisture meters: drywall, insulation and framing left wet for 24 to 48 hours are where mold starts.
Who do I call right now for water damage?
Call (888) 840-6512. The line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects you with an IICRC-certified water damage restoration company that serves your area. A recorded menu picks up first: choose water damage or mold, key in your 5-digit ZIP code, and hold through the short silence while the call is passed to the company.
Describe what you can see — where the water is coming from, how long it has been there, and whether it smells — the more specific you are, the faster the right company is on the line. If the source is a pipe or an appliance, shut the main water valve first. Have four things ready and the call goes quickly: the address, when the water started, what is wet now, and whether you have filed an insurance claim.
Still not sure which of these is your situation? (888) 840-6512 · toll-free · answered 24/7