Chicago weather in January
Temperature, rain and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: May – September
What is the weather like in Chicago in January?
In January, Chicago is freezing cold: daytime highs average −1 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−7 °C). The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 9 days, totalling 62 mm. Snow falls on about 5 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Chicago.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 20 | 21 | 27 |
| Day | 2° | −1° | 1° |
| Night | −3° | −7° | −6° |
| Sun | 3 h | 4 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 8 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 9 h 27 min07:16 – 16:43
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 24 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 71 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 5 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−6America/Chicago
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %10 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %62 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Chicago in January: quick answers
Is Chicago hot in January?
No. In January, Chicago is freezing cold: daytime highs average −1 °C and nights drop to about −7 °C.
Does it rain much in Chicago in January?
Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 62 mm in total.
Chicago month by month
The whole year in ChicagoAll destinations: USAWhere to go in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences