Chicago, IL: January

31 January 2026: January 2026 averaged 21.9°F in Chicago, IL, the coldest January since 2022, tied 52nd coldest of 154 (with 2010).

January 2026

Mean temperature: 21.9°F; Coldest since 2022; 52nd coldest of 154
Precipitation: 2.53 in; Wettest since 2024; 39th wettest of 156

A normal January in Chicago, IL (1991 to 2020): a mean temperature of 24.3°F, between 19°F and 30.1°F in eight years of ten and 1.65 in of precipitation, between 0.91 in and 3.65 in in eight years of ten.

The mean temperature of every January in Chicago, IL since 1873: 21.9°F in 2026; the lowest is 10.1°F, in 1977.

Normal range, 19 to 30.1°F

Every year, ranked, as a table

Every January in Chicago, IL from 1871 to 2026, ranked: the mean temperature, the mean high and the mean low from the warmest, the precipitation from the wettest; a year missing more than a tenth of its days is not ranked.

Year	Mean, °F	Rank	High, °F	Rank	Low, °F	Rank	Precipitation, in	Rank	Days missing
2026	21.9	102	28.9	103	14.9	97	2.53	39	0
2025	22.6	93	29.8	99	15.5	91	1.98	63	0
2024	26.3	59	30.7	88	21.8	39	3.50	19	0
2023	32.3	11	37.5	18	27.1	5	2.60	37	0
2022	20.6	110	28.6	105	12.6	117	0.84	135	0
2021	29.2	28	33.9	51	24.4	18	1.95	67	0
2020	30.1	23	35.8	29	24.4	18	2.80	34	0
2019	21	108	27.5	115	14.5	101	1.96	65	0
2018	24.6	79	31.9	69	17.4	83	1.54	88	0
2017	28.8	32	34.6	44	23	25	2.87	32	0
2016	24.7	77	31.7	70	17.6	81	0.84	135	0
2015	22.3	99	29	102	15.5	91	1.41	93	0
2014	15.7	145	24.6	139	6.7	144	2.82	33	0
2013	26.6	58	35.3	33	17.9	78	3.63	14	0
2012	30.2	21	38.5	13	21.9	35	1.86	72	0
2011	20.6	110	26.7	121	14.5	101	0.92	129	0
2010	21.9	102	27.4	117	16.5	87	1.13	114	0
2009	15.8	144	23.9	142	7.8	142	1.16	109	0
2008	23.5	87	32	68	14.9	97	1.93	69	0
2007	27.9	48	33.8	53	21.9	35	1.72	76	0
2006	35.8	3	42	3	29.6	3	2.78	35	0
2005	24.5	80	31.2	82	17.8	79	4.00	8	0
2004	20.3	112	27.4	117	13.2	112	0.91	131	0
2003	21.3	106	28.3	107	14.3	104	0.36	153	0
2002	31.9	14	38.5	13	25.3	15	1.20	107	0
2001	24.5	80	30.8	85	18.3	74	1.12	115	0
2000	25.3	69	32.1	67	18.5	72	1.35	98	0
1999	22.6	93	29.9	98	15.3	95	4.47	3	0
1998	29.5	24	35.3	33	23.8	21	2.67	36	0
1997	19.3	120	27.8	114	10.8	125	1.38	97	0
1996	23.3	89	31.3	81	15.4	93	1.58	83	0
1995	24	85	30.3	92	17.7	80	3.21	24	0
1994	15.9	142	23.5	144	8.3	140	1.77	74	0
1993	26.2	62	33.4	58	19	67	3.83	10	0
1992	28.1	44	34.5	46	21.7	41	0.87	133	0
1991	20.7	109	28.4	106	13.1	113	1.41	93	0
1990	33.9	4	41.9	4	25.9	11	1.97	64	0
1989	32.4	9	40.6	6	24.1	20	0.82	139	0
1988	19.7	115	28.2	110	11.3	121	1.88	71	0
1987	25.9	64	32.2	66	19.5	59	1.67	79	0
1986	22.8	92	31.6	72	13.9	108	0.39	151	0
1985	14.4	147	23.2	145	5.6	148	1.48	91	0
1984	17.1	137	25.4	132	8.8	138	1.15	111	0
1983	26.3	59	32.4	62	20.2	54	0.66	145	0
1982	12.1	151	21.9	148	2.4	153	2.90	31	0
1981	22.6	93	31	84	14.1	106	0.10	156	0
1980	22.5	97	30.3	92	14.6	100	0.45	150	0
1979	12.4	150	20.6	150	4.2	152	3.00	29	0
1978	15.9	142	23.2	145	8.6	139	2.41	41	0
1977	10.1	154	18.3	154	1.9	154	0.72	142	0
1976	20	114	28.2	110	11.8	118	1.34	100	0
1975	27.9	48	34.8	43	20.9	52	3.68	13	0
1974	25.1	72	31.4	78	18.8	70	3.28	21	0
1973	28.6	39	35.8	29	21.5	43	1.51	89	0
1972	22.5	97	30.2	94	14.7	99	1.11	119	0
1971	19.2	122	27	119	11.4	120	1.11	119	0
1970	17.3	136	24.1	141	10.5	130	1.03	125	0
1969	21.7	105	28.9	103	14.5	101	2.16	52	0
1968	24.7	77	31.5	76	18	77	1.69	78	0
1967	28.8	32	36.1	28	21.5	43	3.22	22	0
1966	18.4	128	26	127	10.8	125	1.12	115	0
1965	24.5	80	32.4	62	16.6	86	4.09	7	0
1964	29.5	24	37.9	15	21.1	48	1.08	124	0
1963	13.3	148	20.7	149	5.9	147	1.01	126	0
1962	18	131	25.4	132	10.7	128	2.53	39	0
1961	23.3	89	30.1	96	16.5	87	0.26	154	0
1960	28.1	44	33.8	53	22.3	30	3.73	12	0
1959	18.4	128	26.6	123	10.3	131	2.13	54	0
1958	26.3	59	31.5	76	21.1	48	1.12	115	0
1957	18.8	124	26.6	123	11	123	2.06	56	0
1956	28.5	42	34.6	44	22.3	30	0.38	152	0
1955	24.9	74	31.4	78	18.3	74	1.49	90	0
1954	27.7	51	35.2	38	20.1	55	1.10	122	0
1953	29.2	28	35.2	38	23.2	24	1.47	92	0
1952	27.2	54	35.2	38	19.3	63	2.18	51	0
1951	23.5	87	30.6	89	16.4	89	1.81	73	0
1950	29.4	26	38.9	9	19.8	56	3.77	11	0
1949	28.4	43	35.5	32	21.2	46	3.32	20	0
1948	18	131	25.8	128	10.3	131	1.71	77	0
1947	28.7	36	36.3	27	21.1	48	2.06	56	0
1946	26.7	56	33.9	51	19.5	59	1.94	68	0
1945	19.3	120	25.8	128	12.7	115	0.80	140	0
1944	31.3	17	40.5	7	22.2	32	0.89	132	0
1943	22.6	93	30.1	96	15.1	96	2.39	42	0
1942	25.7	66	31.6	72	19.7	57	1.39	95	0
1941	28.1	44	33.5	57	22.7	28	2.26	46	0
1940	16.3	139	22.5	147	10	136	1.25	105	0
1939	31.6	16	37	22	26.1	10	2.22	49	0
1938	25.3	69	31.4	78	19.3	63	2.02	59	0
1937	26.7	56	34.4	49	19	67	2.29	45	0
1936	19	123	25.1	134	12.9	114	1.64	81	0
1935	25.7	66	32.8	59	18.5	72	2.34	43	0
1934	32.3	11	38.9	9	25.7	12	0.84	135	0
1933	36.7	2	43.3	2	30.1	2	2.32	44	0
1932	33.6	5	38.8	11	28.3	4	2.20	50	0
1931	32	13	37.5	18	26.5	7	0.57	148	0
1930	20.1	113	26.7	121	13.5	110	2.23	48	0
1929	17.6	133	25.7	130	9.4	137	3.93	9	0
1928	25.2	71	31.7	70	18.6	71	0.73	141	0
1927	24.8	75	30.8	85	18.9	69	1.15	111	0
1926	27.3	53	34.4	49	19.4	62	1.35	98	1
1925	25.9	64	32.3	64	19.5	59	0.68	143	0
1924	19.7	115	28	112	11.5	119	1.32	103	0
1923	30.7	20	36.6	24	24.9	16	0.92	129	0
1922	24.8	75	32.5	61	17.1	84	1.16	109	0
1921	32.4	9	37.7	17	27.1	5	0.97	127	0
1920	18.8	124	24.9	135	12.7	115	1.11	119	0
1919	30.9	18	37.1	21	24.8	17	0.20	155	0
1918	13.3	148	19.6	151	7	143	4.12	6	0
1917	24.2	83	31.6	72	16.7	85	1.55	85	0
1916	28.8	32	36.6	24	20.9	52	4.84	1	0
1915	24.1	84	30.2	94	18.1	76	1.99	60	0
1914	32.5	7	38.6	12	26.3	8	3.01	28	0
1913	29.3	27	36.7	23	21.9	35	1.33	101	0
1912	11.9	153	18.7	153	5.1	151	0.84	135	0
1911	29.2	28	36.6	24	21.8	39	1.17	108	0
1910	25.7	66	31.6	72	19.7	57	3.07	27	0
1909	28.8	32	35.3	33	22.2	32	1.96	65	0
1908	28.6	39	35.3	33	21.9	35	2.05	58	0
1907	27.8	50	34.5	46	21.1	48	4.21	4	0
1906	32.5	7	39.4	8	25.7	12	1.67	79	0
1905	18.1	130	24.9	135	11.3	121	1.33	101	0
1904	17.5	134	24.3	140	10.7	128	2.25	47	0
1903	24	85	30.4	91	17.5	82	1.09	123	0
1902	25.1	72	31.1	83	19.1	66	0.66	145	0
1901	26	63	32.8	59	19.2	65	1.15	111	0
1900	28.7	36	35.3	33	22.1	34	1.21	106	0
1899	22.9	91	29.8	99	16	90	0.58	147	0
1898	28.7	36	34.5	46	22.8	27	3.54	17	0
1897	21.8	104	28.3	107	15.4	93	4.53	2	0
1896	27	55	32.3	64	21.7	41	1.12	115	0
1895	17.5	134	24.8	137	10.3	131	2.15	53	0
1894	27.5	52	33.7	55	21.2	46	1.55	85	0
1893	12	152	18.8	152	5.3	150	2.08	55	0
1892	19.5	118	25.6	131	13.4	111	1.99	60	0
1891	30.2	21	35	41	25.4	14	1.99	60	0
1890	30.8	19	37.9	15	23.7	23	2.98	30	0
1889	29	31	35	41	23	25	1.64	81	0
1888	14.9	146	23.8	143	6	145	1.56	84	0
1887	16.3	139	26.6	123	6	145	3.13	26	0
1886	22.3	99	30.8	85	13.9	108	3.56	16	0
1885	18.8	124	27.5	115	10.1	134	3.18	25	0
1884	18.8	124	26.5	126	11	123	1.39	95	0
1883	16.4	138	24.8	137	8	141	1.74	75	0
1882	28.6	39	35.8	29	21.5	43	1.55	85	0
1881	19.4	119	27.9	113	10.8	125	0.87	133	0
1880	39.8	1	47.5	1	32.1	1	3.53	18	0
1879	21.3	106	28.3	107	14.2	105	0.54	149	0
1878	31.7	15	37.3	20	26.2	9	1.31	104	0
1877	22.3	99	30.5	90	14.1	106	1.91	70	0
1876	32.8	6	41.8	5	23.8	21	3.22	22	0
1875	16.2	141	26.8	120	5.5	149	0.96	128	0
1874	28.1	44	33.7	55	22.5	29	3.57	15	0
1873	19.6	117	29.1	101	10.1	134	2.56	38	0
1872							0.68	143	31
1871							4.13	5	31

Warmest, coldest, wettest and driest

Warmest
Year	Mean, °F
1880	39.8
1933	36.7
2006	35.8
1990	33.9
1932	33.6
1876	32.8
1914	32.5
1906	32.5
1989	32.4
1921	32.4

Coldest
Year	Mean, °F
1977	10.1
1912	11.9
1893	12
1982	12.1
1979	12.4
1963	13.3
1918	13.3
1985	14.4
1888	14.9
2014	15.7

Wettest
Year	Precipitation, in
1916	4.84
1897	4.53
1999	4.47
1907	4.21
1871	4.13
1918	4.12
1965	4.09
2005	4.00
1929	3.93
1993	3.83

Driest
Year	Precipitation, in
1981	0.10
1919	0.20
1961	0.26
2003	0.36
1956	0.38
1986	0.39
1980	0.45
1879	0.54
1931	0.57
1899	0.58

The hottest, coldest and wettest days

Hottest day: 60°F; 9 January 2026, 8 January 2026
Coldest night: -11°F; 23 January 2026
Wettest day: 1.92 in; 8 January 2026

Every month, season and year

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Chicago, IL the day's answers

All-time records

Every answer in words

January 2026 brought 2.53 in of precipitation in Chicago, IL, the wettest January since 2024, tied 39th wettest of 156 (with 1962).
The hottest day of January 2026 in Chicago, IL: 60°F on Friday 9 January 2026 and Thursday 8 January 2026.
The coldest night of January 2026 in Chicago, IL: a low of -11°F on Friday 23 January 2026.
The wettest day of January 2026 in Chicago, IL: 1.92 in on Thursday 8 January 2026.