Weather in Chicago in January 2025
- January is usually the coldest month of the year in Chicago;
Average weather
Average temperature in Chicago in January
The expected average maximum temperature in January is +3°C with a maximum of +11°C and a minimum of -15°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 65% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +8°C to -9°C.
Is Chicago warm or cold in January?
Chicago is typically cool in January.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +3°C to 0°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from -3°C to -6°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
January is the coldest month in Chicago, here is the comparison with other months:
Water temperature in Chicago in January
Water in Chicago in January is Cold. It varies from +3°C to +5°C, with an average of +4°C. Note that the air temperature is lower than the water temperature, averaging around 0°C.
The water temperature in January is one of the coldest of the entire year:
Can you swim in Chicago in January?
Climate in Chicago in January
| December | January | February | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +3°C | 0°C | +1°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -27°C | -30°C | -26°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +22°C | +18°C | +18°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 42 mm | 23 mm | 21 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 4 m/s | 4 m/s | 4 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +6°C | +4°C | +3°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 73% | 73% | 71% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1018 HPa | 1018 HPa | 1018 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 14 | 15 | 13 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 6 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 8 | 11 | 9 | ||||
January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +3°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to 0°C. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 42 mm to 23 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 73%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 3 sunny days during the month.
February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 6 m/s getting up to 12 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Chicago is gradually increasing during January, going from 4 m/s to 4 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Snow
January is one of the snowiest months in Chicago.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last January in Chicago?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Chicago in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+12°C) and the highest in 2012 (+17°C). The driest year was 2005 with only 501 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 1535 mm.
FAQ
Is January a good time to visit Chicago?
Can you sunbathe in Chicago in January?
Can you swim in Chicago in January?
Is Chicago rainy in January?
Is it sunny in Chicago in January?
Other cities in USA
Monthly weather in Chicago
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Chicago, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.