National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

New Year's Day Weather for Northern Illinois:   Statistics for Chicago and Rockford

 

Chicago: 
The following statistics comprises 146 years of data. However snowfall data started in 1885 so it comprises 133 years. Data collection began at the University of Chicago, then at Midway, and currently at O'Hare which is now the official station for Chicago.

 

Graph of high temperatures in Chicago on New Years Day

Frequency distribution of high temperatures for Chicago. This dataset shows that the most frequent range of high temperatures on New Year’s Day is in between 30 and 39 degrees. The normal high for New Year’s Day at Chicago is 32 degrees, which falls in the most frequent range. The highest temperature recorded on New Year’s Day is 65 degrees set in 1876.  The coldest high temperature on New Year’s Day was in 2018, when the high only reached 1 degree!

 

Low Temperatures on New Years Day at Chicago

Frequency distribution of low temperatures for Chicago. This dataset shows that the most frequent range of low temperatures on New Year’s Day is in between 20 and 29 degrees. The normal low temperature on New Year’s Day in Chicago is 17 degrees. The lowest temperature recorded on New Year’s Day is -10 degrees which occurred in 1969. The highest low temperature for New Year’s Day was 43 degrees in 1897 and 1950. In 2018, the low temperature was -9 degrees, which ties for the 2nd coldest low temperature for New Years Day. 

 

Precipitation on New Years Day at Chicago

Frequency distribution of precipitation for Chicago. This dataset shows that the most frequent amount of precipitation recorded on New Year’s Day is 0.00”, which accounts for 43% of the days in the dataset. The next most frequent range is a Trace. The highest amount of precipitation on New Year’s Day occurred in 1948 when 1.33” of precipitation fell. This is the only instance where over an inch of precipitation fell on New Year’s Day. In 2018, no precipitation fell.

Snowfall on New Years Day at Chicago

Frequency distribution of snowfall for Chicago. This dataset shows that the most frequent amount of snowfall recorded on New Year’s Day is 0.0”, which accounts for 59% of the days in the dataset. The next most frequent range is a Trace. The highest amount of snowfall recorded on New Year’s Day occurred in 1918 when 5.0” of snow fell. In 2018, no snow fell.

 

ADDITIONAL NEW YEARS DAY CLIMATE DATA     ( * MEANS LAST OCCURRENCE)

MAX TEMP
WARMEST

MIN TEMP
WARMEST
PCPN
WETTEST
SNOW
MOST
65
1876
43
1950 *
1.33
1948
5.0
1918
57
1897
41
1892
1.25
1891
4.6
1978
55
1892
40
1876
0.94
1965
4.4
1948
54
1891 *
37
1916
0.70
1941
4.3
1985
52
1916
36
1941 *
0.68
1916
3.1
1984
49
2004 *
35
2000 *
0.61
1985
48
2000 *
34
1972 *
0.57
1892
46
1941 *
33
1997 *
0.48
1890
45
2006
32
1996 *
0.47
1918
44
2012 *
31
1992 *
0.44
1876
 
MAX TEMP
COLDEST
MIN TEMP
COLDEST
PCPN
DRIEST
SNOW
LEAST
1
2018
-10
1969
0.00
2018 * 
0.0
2018 *
5
1969
-9
2018 *
T
2016 *
T
 2016 *
7
1928
-6
1887
0.01
1997 *
0.1
1967 *
8
1988 *
-5
1924 *
0.02
1995 *
0.2
1995
12
1924
-3
1945 *
0.03
2006 *
0.3
1959
13
1977
-2
1974
0.04
2012 *
14
1920
-1
1988
0.05
2008 *
15
1968 * 
0
1978 *
0.06
1911
16
2010 *
1
1920
0.08
1979 *
17
1957 *
2
1935 *
0.09
1921

 

ACS on 12/22/2018