Chicago · United States

Chicago in January: every year compared

In January, Chicago averages highs of -0.5 °C and lows of -7.1 °C, with 62 mm of precipitation. The warmest January was 2006 (2.0 °C), the coldest 1977 (-11.9 °C).

Avg. highAvg. high -0.5 °C

Avg. lowAvg. low -7.1 °C

PrecipitationPrecipitation 62 mm

Rainy daysRainy days 9

Day by day through January

Normal high and low for each day of January in Chicago.

Normal high and low, day by dayNormal 1991–2020

Every January in Chicago, ranked

86 months of January since 1940. The last one, 2025, ranks 45 of 86 (−0.8 °C vs normal).

194019832025

2025 · -4.5 °C · −0.8 °C vs normal · rank 45 of 86

Warmest years

120062.0 °C
219901.1 °C
319890.4 °C
420230.2 °C
520020.1 °C

Coldest years

11977-11.9 °C
21963-10.9 °C
31979-10.6 °C
41982-10.2 °C
51940-10.1 °C

All 86 years in a table

Year	Mean temperature	Daytime highs	Night lows	Precipitation	Frost days	Snowfall	Rainy days
2025	-4.5 °C	-1.0 °C	-8.2 °C	37 mm	30 days	10 cm	7 days
2024	-3.1 °C	-1.0 °C	-5.2 °C	120 mm	21 days	38 cm	14 days
2023	0.2 °C	2.7 °C	-1.9 °C	71 mm	18 days	16 cm	11 days
2022	-5.7 °C	-1.9 °C	-10.1 °C	36 mm	31 days	22 cm	7 days
2021	-0.9 °C	1.1 °C	-3.0 °C	76 mm	27 days	45 cm	11 days
2020	-0.1 °C	2.4 °C	-2.9 °C	90 mm	24 days	26 cm	9 days
2019	-5.2 °C	-2.1 °C	-8.2 °C	66 mm	28 days	30 cm	11 days
2018	-3.5 °C	-0.1 °C	-7.5 °C	44 mm	26 days	9 cm	8 days
2017	-1.0 °C	1.8 °C	-3.7 °C	84 mm	21 days	2 cm	11 days
2016	-3.0 °C	0.6 °C	-6.3 °C	35 mm	26 days	9 cm	7 days
2015	-4.5 °C	-1.5 °C	-7.9 °C	50 mm	29 days	22 cm	12 days
2014	-8.5 °C	-4.2 °C	-13.3 °C	67 mm	31 days	37 cm	14 days
2013	-2.0 °C	1.6 °C	-6.0 °C	86 mm	26 days	4 cm	10 days
2012	-0.8 °C	2.8 °C	-4.7 °C	61 mm	28 days	24 cm	9 days
2011	-5.3 °C	-2.2 °C	-8.4 °C	17 mm	31 days	12 cm	5 days
2010	-5.2 °C	-2.6 °C	-7.8 °C	26 mm	29 days	11 cm	5 days
2009	-8.4 °C	-4.5 °C	-12.9 °C	33 mm	31 days	21 cm	9 days
2008	-3.9 °C	-0.1 °C	-8.6 °C	96 mm	26 days	15 cm	13 days
2007	-0.9 °C	1.7 °C	-3.7 °C	61 mm	24 days	11 cm	7 days
2006	2.0 °C	4.8 °C	-0.6 °C	79 mm	17 days	13 cm	10 days
2005	-3.8 °C	-0.8 °C	-6.9 °C	118 mm	26 days	39 cm	14 days
2004	-5.8 °C	-2.4 °C	-9.4 °C	33 mm	30 days	24 cm	8 days
2003	-5.6 °C	-2.5 °C	-8.9 °C	15 mm	30 days	12 cm	5 days
2002	0.1 °C	3.2 °C	-2.8 °C	50 mm	23 days	27 cm	6 days
2001	-3.8 °C	-1.0 °C	-7.1 °C	34 mm	31 days	5 cm	4 days
2000	-3.6 °C	-0.5 °C	-7.0 °C	44 mm	26 days	17 cm	10 days
1999	-5.4 °C	-1.8 °C	-9.3 °C	118 mm	29 days	37 cm	13 days
1998	-1.0 °C	1.5 °C	-4.0 °C	101 mm	24 days	28 cm	9 days
1997	-6.6 °C	-2.8 °C	-10.6 °C	51 mm	27 days	25 cm	11 days
1996	-4.0 °C	-0.8 °C	-7.9 °C	56 mm	30 days	13 cm	8 days
1995	-3.4 °C	-0.9 °C	-6.1 °C	87 mm	27 days	13 cm	10 days
1994	-8.7 °C	-5.2 °C	-13.0 °C	65 mm	30 days	24 cm	8 days
1993	-2.5 °C	0.6 °C	-5.6 °C	98 mm	27 days	14 cm	11 days
1992	-1.4 °C	1.4 °C	-4.1 °C	38 mm	22 days	13 cm	9 days
1991	-5.1 °C	-2.0 °C	-8.4 °C	42 mm	31 days	25 cm	6 days
1990	1.1 °C	4.6 °C	-2.5 °C	62 mm	25 days	4 cm	6 days
1989	0.4 °C	4.1 °C	-2.8 °C	40 mm	21 days	6 cm	9 days
1988	-6.2 °C	-2.3 °C	-10.4 °C	51 mm	27 days	9 cm	6 days
1987	-2.9 °C	-0.4 °C	-5.5 °C	37 mm	29 days	24 cm	6 days
1986	-3.4 °C	0.1 °C	-7.3 °C	15 mm	29 days	10 cm	5 days
1985	-7.8 °C	-4.1 °C	-11.6 °C	38 mm	31 days	19 cm	7 days
1984	-6.4 °C	-3.3 °C	-9.9 °C	22 mm	29 days	16 cm	8 days
1983	-1.8 °C	0.5 °C	-4.1 °C	25 mm	28 days	12 cm	8 days
1982	-10.2 °C	-5.3 °C	-14.7 °C	85 mm	31 days	35 cm	15 days
1981	-4.5 °C	-1.1 °C	-7.9 °C	4 mm	29 days	3 cm	1 day
1980	-3.9 °C	-0.8 °C	-7.1 °C	41 mm	28 days	12 cm	10 days
1979	-10.6 °C	-7.2 °C	-14.3 °C	73 mm	31 days	53 cm	11 days
1978	-8.5 °C	-5.4 °C	-12.3 °C	50 mm	30 days	33 cm	9 days
1977	-11.9 °C	-8.2 °C	-15.6 °C	26 mm	31 days	18 cm	9 days
1976	-6.5 °C	-2.2 °C	-11.0 °C	39 mm	31 days	25 cm	10 days
1975	-2.1 °C	1.0 °C	-5.5 °C	81 mm	28 days	9 cm	11 days
1974	-4.4 °C	-1.5 °C	-7.4 °C	108 mm	25 days	21 cm	12 days
1973	-2.3 °C	1.3 °C	-5.5 °C	46 mm	25 days	2 cm	7 days
1972	-5.9 °C	-2.3 °C	-10.0 °C	44 mm	28 days	17 cm	11 days
1971	-8.5 °C	-4.0 °C	-12.9 °C	29 mm	31 days	14 cm	4 days
1970	-9.1 °C	-5.8 °C	-12.7 °C	28 mm	30 days	18 cm	9 days
1969	-7.0 °C	-3.5 °C	-10.5 °C	62 mm	28 days	12 cm	11 days
1968	-5.2 °C	-2.0 °C	-8.9 °C	50 mm	28 days	20 cm	14 days
1967	-2.5 °C	1.7 °C	-6.4 °C	64 mm	27 days	33 cm	9 days
1966	-8.2 °C	-4.3 °C	-12.0 °C	34 mm	31 days	19 cm	4 days
1965	-4.9 °C	-1.0 °C	-9.1 °C	121 mm	28 days	14 cm	11 days
1964	-1.9 °C	1.9 °C	-5.8 °C	45 mm	24 days	10 cm	9 days
1963	-10.9 °C	-7.1 °C	-15.1 °C	30 mm	30 days	21 cm	7 days
1962	-8.4 °C	-4.9 °C	-11.9 °C	77 mm	30 days	37 cm	10 days
1961	-5.8 °C	-2.0 °C	-9.6 °C	12 mm	31 days	8 cm	5 days
1960	-2.9 °C	0.0 °C	-5.9 °C	92 mm	28 days	15 cm	11 days
1959	-8.2 °C	-4.3 °C	-12.6 °C	77 mm	30 days	37 cm	10 days
1958	-4.4 °C	-1.4 °C	-7.4 °C	44 mm	30 days	30 cm	7 days
1957	-7.5 °C	-3.9 °C	-11.7 °C	52 mm	29 days	19 cm	10 days
1956	-2.6 °C	0.2 °C	-5.7 °C	20 mm	30 days	6 cm	5 days
1955	-3.7 °C	-0.9 °C	-6.6 °C	47 mm	26 days	8 cm	7 days
1954	-3.2 °C	0.7 °C	-7.1 °C	41 mm	29 days	10 cm	7 days
1953	-1.7 °C	0.9 °C	-5.1 °C	51 mm	28 days	19 cm	9 days
1952	-3.5 °C	0.6 °C	-7.5 °C	76 mm	30 days	19 cm	13 days
1951	-5.6 °C	-1.9 °C	-10.0 °C	65 mm	30 days	20 cm	8 days
1950	-1.5 °C	3.2 °C	-6.2 °C	137 mm	26 days	16 cm	15 days
1949	-2.6 °C	0.9 °C	-6.6 °C	118 mm	26 days	18 cm	13 days
1948	-9.1 °C	-5.3 °C	-14.1 °C	38 mm	31 days	20 cm	3 days
1947	-3.5 °C	0.1 °C	-7.8 °C	100 mm	30 days	37 cm	10 days
1946	-3.9 °C	0.1 °C	-7.9 °C	78 mm	28 days	10 cm	10 days
1945	-7.2 °C	-4.1 °C	-10.5 °C	24 mm	31 days	17 cm	7 days
1944	-0.9 °C	2.9 °C	-4.1 °C	34 mm	27 days	5 cm	6 days
1943	-7.1 °C	-3.2 °C	-11.5 °C	48 mm	31 days	32 cm	10 days
1942	-6.5 °C	-2.7 °C	-10.3 °C	36 mm	30 days	20 cm	5 days
1941	-4.5 °C	-1.2 °C	-7.9 °C	73 mm	30 days	26 cm	10 days
1940	-10.1 °C	-6.5 °C	-13.6 °C	46 mm	30 days	22 cm	7 days

January records

Hottest day

16.8 °C

January 7, 2008 estimate

Nearby station: 19.4 °C on January 25, 1950 measured

Coldest night

-30.2 °C

January 19, 1994 estimate

Nearby station: -31.7 °C on January 20, 1985 measured

Wettest day

45 mm

January 12, 1960 estimate

The weather on your birthday in Chicago

Any day since 1940: high, low, rain, snow, and how warm it was compared with the same date in every other year.

Questions & answers

How warm is Chicago in January?

Highs average -0.5 °C and lows -7.1 °C. A typical January brings 0 hot days (30 °C or more) and 27 frost days.

Does it rain a lot in Chicago in January?

About 62 mm falls in January, over some 9 days with at least 1 mm. The wettest January was 1950 (137 mm), the driest 1981 (4 mm).

What was the warmest January in Chicago?

2006, with a mean temperature of 2.0 °C. The coldest was 1977 (-11.9 °C). The last one, 2025, ranks 45 of 86.