Chicago weather in January: Chicago, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Chicago in January has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 25°F, holding near 32°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 1.99 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −7°C, 51 mm of precipitation and 29 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationChicago O'Hare International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094846
- Location41.99°N 87.93°W
- Elevation658 ft (201 m)
- From the center17 miles
- Population2,721,308
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 36° 22°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 59° 40°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 85° 66°
- Aug 83° 65°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 63° 45°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Chicago in January?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 25.2°F. January is 5.3°F cooler than December and 3.6°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Chicago and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 1°F, from 33°F on January 1 to 32°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 20°F and 30°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 36%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 33°F | 21°F | 35% | 16% |
| January 8 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% |
| January 15 | 31°F | 19°F | 35% | 17% |
| January 22 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% |
| January 31 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 23)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 33°F | 21°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 2 | 33°F | 21°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 3 | 33°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 8 | 32°F | 20°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 9 | 32°F | 19°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 10 | 32°F | 19°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 11 | 32°F | 19°F | 36% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 12 | 32°F | 19°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 31°F | 19°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 31°F | 19°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 31°F | 19°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 16 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 18 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 22 | 31°F | 18°F | 35% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 27 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 31°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 32°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 32°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 19°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.99 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 11.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 10 hJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 59%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094846; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Chicago in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around January 5 (36%). In all, 1.99 in falls on 11 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Chicago, 28 nights fall to freezing, 17 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 11.3 inches.
Snow falls on 9 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 16 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094846.
How humid and windy is Chicago in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 29°F with 64% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 22°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 10.5 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 22°F | 16°F | 79% | 9.6 mph | 31% |
| 9 a.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 75% | 10.5 mph | 26% |
| noon | 28°F | 18°F | 66% | 11.9 mph | 22% |
| 3 p.m. | 29°F | 19°F | 64% | 12.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 71% | 10.7 mph | 24% |
| 9 p.m. | 25°F | 18°F | 74% | 10.3 mph | 30% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094846. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for January in Chicago?
The warmest January temperature on Chicago's official record (since 1872) is 67°F, on January 25, 1950; the coldest is −27°F, on January 20, 1985. The wettest January brought 4.84 in (1916); the snowiest, 42.5 inches (1918).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.2°F: 2021 29.2°F (+4.0), 2022 20.6°F (−4.6), 2023 32.3°F (+7.1), 2024 26.3°F (+1.1), 2025 22.6°F (−2.6), 2026 21.9°F (−3.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.2°F | +4.0°F | 1.95 in |
| 2022 | 20.6°F | −4.6°F | 0.84 in |
| 2023 | 32.3°F | +7.1°F | 2.60 in |
| 2024 | 26.3°F | +1.1°F | 3.50 in |
| 2025 | 22.6°F | −2.6°F | 1.98 in |
| 2026 | 21.9°F | −3.3°F | 2.53 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ORDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094846. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Chicago compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, January normal highs run from 27°F in Galena to 45°F in Anna; Chicago's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.