Weather

January largely seasonally cold & dry across Illinois

January 2015 in Illinois was slightly cooler and drier than average. The statewide temperature was 25.4 degrees, 1 degree below average and the 53rd coldest on record, according to the Illinois State Water Survey.

This January was not nearly as cold as last January when the average temperature was 19.3 degrees and ranked as the 16th coldest on record.

The statewide average precipitation for January 2015 was 1.53 inches, 0.5 inches below average. Because of dry weather in November, December, and January, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed northern and western Illinois as abnormally dry.

Snowfall ranged from less than 1 inch in the far south to 10 to 15 inches north of Interstate 80.  That results in above-average snowfall in the northern half of the state and below-average for the southern half.  However, this was far less snow than January 2014 when most of the state was covered with 10 to 25 inches of snow.

The Illinois State Water Survey