If you’re a filmmaker, you have a bonus opportunity to capture striking B-roll of a snowy Christmas in Chicago and in the quaint rural towns across Illinois. January and February are traditionally the most reliable months for winter filming in Chicago, when consistent snowfall is more likely to be on the ground. This season, however, Mother Nature delivered an early start.
Heavy snowfall arriving in late November and continuing into December has pushed Chicago into one of its snowiest early starts in nearly 50 years. In just a few weeks, snowfall totals have already approached what the region recorded during the entire previous winter season. The result is widespread, natural snow cover across streets, neighborhoods, parks, and lakefront locations, weeks earlier than most productions would typically plan for winter conditions.
Striking B-roll opportunity for a snowy Christmas in Chicago
Expect authentic snowy winter scenes on One Chicago this season
Extended Window for Indie Holiday Shoots
Chicago and rural communities across Illinois are frequent settings for independently produced holiday films, which often depend on short, tightly scheduled winter shoots. This early snow effectively extends the filming calendar for those projects, giving filmmakers greater flexibility to capture authentic seasonal visuals.
15 Chicago Christmas movies to put you in the holiday spirit
Predicting a snowfall in Chicago is never guaranteed from one week to the next. A classic example of winter filming in Chicago is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which was originally intended to film entirely in the Chicago area but had to relocate production to Buffalo, New York, due to a lack of snow.
The early accumulation has positioned Illinois as a strong option for projects requiring natural winter backdrops well ahead of the typical January and February peak.
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