Peoria, Ill. (WMBD) — January was an active month for Central Illinois which saw everything from tornadoes to frigid temperatures and snow. The following is a break down of temperature, precipitation and snowfall statistics from across the region throughout the month.
| Temperature | Temperature Departure | Snowfall | Snowfall Departure | Precipitation | Precipitation Departure | |
| Peoria | 33.0° | + 7.4° | 8.6″ | + 0.9″ | 1.71″ | -0.35″ |
| Normal | 32.5° | + 8.0° | 4.9″ | -2.6″ | 1.85″ | -0.58″ |
| Lincoln | 34.7° | + 8.6° | 3.9″ | -1.8″ | 1.91″ | -0.26″ |
Statewide Temperature Summary
With temperatures nearly 7.5° above average, January 2023 was tied for the 6th warmest January on record for Peoria. The entire state experienced above average temperatures with the warmest conditions east of I-55. The warmest day for most areas came January 3rd with many areas setting record highs, including Peoria which set a record of 65°. This record warmth along elevated humidity and strong wind shear resulted in an outbreak of 9 tornadoes in Central Illinois, impacting Macon, Sangamon, Logan, McLean and Ford Counties. It was the largest January tornado outbreak in Illinois since 1950, when consistent tornado records began.
Colder temperatures would eventually return by the end of the month when many areas north of I-70 experienced lows in the single digits or below zero with highs in the teens and 20s. The area also started to see more meaningful snowfalls the last week of the month.
Statewide Snowfall Summary
Monthly snowfall totals ranged from less than a few inches south of I-70 to over 10 inches along and north of I-88. Most of the state only saw minor snow accumulations through the first half of the month but that started to change in the last two weeks. In Central Illinois, our heaviest snow fall 3-6 inches of snow between January 25th and 26th with Peoria setting a daily snowfall record of 5.3″ on January 25th. Still, even with the snowier weather moving in towards the end of the month, most of the state still ended up 2-5 inches below average in monthly snow accumulations. Peoria was one of the few exceptions however as we would end up 0.9″ above average for the month.
Statewide Precipitation Summary
Northern and southern parts of Illinois experienced above average precipitation (rain and melted snow/ice) through the month of January while Central Illinois saw near to below average precipitation. The heaviest precipitation of the month fell along and south of I-70 on January 18th and 19th when much of southern Illinois saw 0.75″ to 1.50″ of rain. Illinois also continued to see improvements in drought conditions across the state, though abnormally dry conditions remain in place along the Illinois River Valley.
February Outlook
The Climate Prediction Center’s February Outlook calls for a greater chance of above average precipitation and above average temperatures over much of Central Illinois. Its impossible to know how much of this would fall as snow versus rain, but recent trends suggest that February has evolved into a pretty snowy month of parts of Central Illinois in the last few decades.