Chicago Weather in January

Although January has some of the driest weather of the year in Chicago, Illinois, it is also the city's snowiest and coldest month.

This page gives detailed information on the typical January temperature, precipitation, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Chicago. The numbers here are historical averages based on temperature, rain and snow measurements gathered at Chicago Midway Airport and other climate data from Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Temperature

33 °F	January average high	-0 °C
20 °F	January average low	-7 °C

January is the coldest month overall for Chicago and the 20th and 22th are usually its chilliest days. They have daily highs averaging 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) and the lows of 19 °F (-7 °C).

8 days	40 °F max. or more (4 °C)
16 days	20 °F min. or less (-8 °C)

Chicago averages two days in January when the thermometer reaches into the 50s °F (over 10 °C). Temperatures above 60 °F (15 °C) happen about once every few years. Typically 16 days remain below freezing for the entire day.

The thermometer ends up at freezing or below nearly every night in January. On an average of 3 nights, it drops as cold as 0 °F (-18 °C) or below.

Precipitation

2.3 in	total precipitation	58 mm
12 days	of rain or snowfall

Half the time, Chicago receives 1.3 to 3.3 inches (32 to 84 mm) of precipitation in January. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter. Overall, this is Chicago's driest month.

Snow

11.3 in	total snowfall	29 cm
9 days	with new snow

January's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Chicago. Between 5.5 and 15 inches (14 to 37 cm) of fresh snow arrives in half the years. Less new snow lands in one out of four Januaries, while another twenty-five percent are snowier.

Chicago typically has at least an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground for 16 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 5 inches (13 cm) or deeper on 5 days.

Sun

44 %	sunshine
7 days	clear skies

The sun's rays reach the ground in Chicago during 44 percent of daylight hours on average in January, for a total of 130 hours in the month. Typically on 7 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.

Sunlight in January at Chicago lasts for 9 hours and 33 minutes a day on average. The shortest day of the month is the 1st with 9 hours and 12 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, the days have lengthened to 10:01 from sunrise to sunset. These durations can vary by a minute or two from year to year.

Humidity

72 %	January average humidity

The relative humidity in Chicago during January usually peaks at 76 percent in the morning then drops to 65 percent by mid afternoon.

Local Time	12 am	3 am	6 am	9 am	12 pm	3 pm	6 pm	9 pm
Humidity %	75	76	76	74	67	65	71	74

Wind

11.6 mph

January wind speed average

18.7 kph

January is windier than most other months in Chicago.

Storms

4 days	snowfall of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more
0 days	with thunderstorms in January

Chicago can get over 5 inches (13 cm) of snow in one day during January, but snowstorms that severe only occur in some years.

Similarly, every few years a thunderstorm passes over Chicago in January.