Climate change is greatly affecting Chicago’s weather every year and winters are the most impacted with temperatures rising over three degrees in the last fifty years.

Chicago has always been known to be cold and windy but with the planet warming up, Chicago residents may experience a new winter and spring. 

“I didn’t really notice the weather until this winter because of the rainfall instead of snow,” said Nina Finkelstein ‘26.

Additionally, the city will experience more rain than snow as the amount of days with temperatures below freezing is dropping. 

“I have noticed way less snow during the winter, but the temperature is still pretty low which makes the sidewalks super slippery which makes me not want to go out,” said Finkelstein.

This increase in rainfall will cause lake levels to rise, leading to shore erosion. 

“I remember how the lake used to freeze but lately there has been little to no ice on the lake,” said Finkelstein.

Even though the temperatures in Chicago are increasing, wind chills still affect how cold it will end up being. Wind chills are the main cause for school shutdowns and danger for those going outside. 

“For the safety of our students and staff, CPS is canceling classes and after school activities for Tuesday, January 16,”  CPS said on Twitter last week. “The forecast combination of subzero temperatures and a Wind Chill Warning makes for unsafe conditions.”

Global rising temperatures are also expected to make summers significantly warmer, with highs expected to reach the nineties. This poses a major risk for those spending time outdoors, increasing the likelihood of heatstroke or sun poisoning.

“I like the warmer weather during the summerand it gives me the chance to goo out to the beach with friends,” said Finkelstein.

The recent weather affected public transportation, presenting an additional challenge for students commuting to school.

“I take the green line everyday and last week my travel time has almost doubled, from what I heard the tracks are freeing up,” said Maksym Napora ‘25.

Last week, another powerful storm swept through the Midwest, resulting in icy sidewalks that posed a significant risk of slipping and falling, adding on to the cold weather and snow.

“When getting to school I had to be very careful about not slipping because all of the sidewalks are super slippery,” said Napora ‘25.

Climate change all around has negative impacts on the environment and poses higher risks to the general public, with cold snaps and wind chills dropping the temperatures low and rising temperatures causing extreme heat in the summers.

“In the last couple years I’ve noticed how its either really hot or reall cold,” said Napora, “It’s very apparent that climate change is affecting Chicago.”

Many students are not attending after school events or hanging out with their friends due to the risks posed by the extreme weather.

“I have missed out on several club meeting because I didn’t want to remain outside for too long,” said Napora.