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Weather in January in Illinois

Thinking about venturing to Illinois this January and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in Illinois in January?

Illinois is a region in the United States of America. January in Illinois generally has temperatures that range from very cold to cold, with precipitation levels ranging from low to moderate. During January, winter is in full swing.

Temperatures

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is very cold in Galena at -2°C to cold in Metropolis at 6°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to -4°C in Metropolis and -12°C in Galena. On average, January is the coldest month of the year in Illinois. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From low snowfall in Galena with an average of 27 mm to moderate snowfall in Metropolis with 100 mm. Going by our weather data, this month in Chicago usually has the least rain, making it the driest month of the year.

Average sunshine

Most cities enjoy a balanced amount of sunshine, with around 133 hours of sunlight anticipated in Chicago. This ensures the days are neither too dim nor excessively sunny.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Illinois in January, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our Illinois climate page.

Where to go in Illinois in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Illinois on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailes.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in Illinois?

Chicago

In January Chicago generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -1°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -9°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Chicago
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
3°C 
-5°C 
107 hours 
81 mm 
13 days 
poor 
-1°C 
-9°C 
133 hours 
50 mm 
10 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-9°C 
138 hours 
63 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Chicago

Schaumburg

In January Schaumburg generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -1°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -10°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Schaumburg
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
2°C 
-6°C 
107 hours 
81 mm 
13 days 
poor 
-1°C 
-10°C 
133 hours 
47 mm 
10 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-10°C 
138 hours 
59 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Schaumburg

Rosemont

In January Rosemont generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -0°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -9°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Rosemont
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
3°C 
-5°C 
107 hours 
81 mm 
13 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-9°C 
133 hours 
50 mm 
10 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-9°C 
138 hours 
64 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Rosemont

Joliet

In January Joliet generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -0°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -9°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Joliet
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
3°C 
-5°C 
107 hours 
77 mm 
13 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-9°C 
133 hours 
52 mm 
11 days 
poor 
0°C 
-9°C 
138 hours 
51 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Joliet

Naperville

In January Naperville generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -1°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -10°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Naperville
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
3°C 
-6°C 
107 hours 
79 mm 
12 days 
poor 
-1°C 
-10°C 
133 hours 
50 mm 
10 days 
poor 
0°C 
-10°C 
138 hours 
57 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Naperville

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Illinois, in the United States of America.

Is January the best time to visit Illinois?

Given the typically poor weather conditions in Chicago, January may not be the ideal time to visit Illinois.

On average, the best time to visit Illinois is in September with generally perfect weather in Chicago. On the other hand, the weather in January, February, March, November and December tend to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Illinois. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United States of America? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United States of America.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.