Review of the Arctic Blast of Late January 2019

Overview

An intense Arctic outbreak affected a large part of the Midwest, at the end of January. Temperatures fell into the 20s and 30s below zero in some areas, with wind chills at times worse than 50 below zero. Such intense cold is not very common in this area; the last comparable period was in early January 2014. A low temperature of 38 degrees below zero was observed at Mount Carroll, in far northwest Illinois; this is being evaluated as potentially the coldest low temperature ever observed in Illinois.

Low temperature on January 30, 2019. Image courtesy Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

Low temperatures on January 30th.
(Image courtesy Midwestern Regional Climate Center)

Fast Facts
Temperatures
Wind Chills

Fast Facts

Springfield:

The lowest temperature observed was 14 below zero, on the 30th. This was the coldest temperature observed in Springfield since January 5, 1999, when the low was 21 below zero.
The coldest wind chill observed was 40 below zero at 5:52 am on January 30th.

Peoria:

The lowest temperature observed was 20 below zero on January 30th. The last time it got that cold in Peoria was on January 16, 2009, when the low was 21 below zero.
The high temperature on January 30th was 6 below zero. In the historical climate record (since 1883), there have only been 12 days with a colder high temperature. The last time it was colder was January 15, 2009, with a high of 7 below.
Peoria spent 41 hours at or below zero, from the 29-31st.
The coldest wind chill observed was 44 below zero at 3:54 am on January 30th.

Other notable occurrences:

The coldest wind chill observed was 53 below zero at the Bloomington airport, at 5:56 am on January 30th.

Temperatures

Lowest temperatures observed on Wednesday, January 30th:

Minonk (Woodford Co.): -23
Knoxville (Knox Co.): -22
Avon (Fulton Co.): -21
Galesburg (Knox Co.): -21
Bloomington/Airport (McLean Co.): -21
Normal (McLean Co.): -21
Hoopeston (Vermilion Co.): -21
Peoria (Peoria Co.): -20

Coldest high temperatures on Wednesday, January 30th:

Galesburg (Knox Co.): -8
Avon (Fulton Co.): -7
Knoxville (Knox Co.): -7
Ogden (Champaign Co.): -4
Normal (McLean Co.): -3

Lowest temperatures on Thursday, January 31st:

Knoxville (Knox Co.): -27
Avon (Fulton Co.): -23
Normal (McLean Co.): -21
Minonk (Woodford Co.): -21
Galesburg (Knox Co.): -21
Peoria (Peoria Co.): -19

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Wind Chills

...CASS COUNTY...
LAGRANGE LOCK AND DAM        -25 F     0430 AM 01/30   39.94N/90.53W        

...CHAMPAIGN COUNTY...
RANTOUL AIRPORT              -47 F     0535 AM 01/30   40.29N/88.14W        
2 SSW ROYAL                  -46 F     0715 AM 01/30   40.16N/87.99W        
LAKE OF THE WOODS            -45 F     0856 AM 01/30   40.22N/88.36W        
U OF IL WILLARD AP           -44 F     0631 AM 01/30   40.04N/88.28W        
2 SSE URBANA                 -44 F     0805 AM 01/30   40.08N/88.19W        
1 W SIDNEY                   -41 F     0732 AM 01/30   40.02N/88.10W        
2 SE URBANA                  -41 F     0925 AM 01/30   40.08N/88.19W        
3 NW CHAMPAIGN               -40 F     0609 AM 01/30   40.16N/88.31W        
3 NW LONGVIEW                -38 F     0815 AM 01/30   39.92N/88.11W        
OGDEN                        -37 F     0600 AM 01/30   40.11N/87.96W        
ROYAL                        -37 F     0915 AM 01/30   40.19N/87.97W        
1 E URBANA                   -34 F     0701 AM 01/30   40.11N/88.18W        

...CHRISTIAN COUNTY...
TAYLORVILLE MUNI AP          -38 F     0815 AM 01/30   39.53N/89.33W        

...CLARK COUNTY...
MARSHALL                     -34 F     0650 AM 01/30   39.40N/87.70W        
1 NE MARSHALL                -28 F     0735 AM 01/30   39.41N/87.68W        
3 NE MARSHALL                -20 F     0921 AM 01/30   39.43N/87.65W        

...CLAY COUNTY...
FLORA MUNICIPAL AP           -26 F     0715 AM 01/30   38.66N/88.45W        

...COLES COUNTY...
COLES COUNTY MEM AP          -38 F     0653 AM 01/30   39.48N/88.28W        
2 W CHARLESTON               -25 F     0829 AM 01/30   39.50N/88.23W        

...CRAWFORD COUNTY...
CRAWFORD COUNTY AP           -30 F     0835 AM 01/30   39.02N/87.65W        

...CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
2 SSW JEWETT                 -25 F     0845 AM 01/30   39.17N/88.25W        

...DE WITT COUNTY...
4 E WAYNESVILLE              -42 F     0615 AM 01/30   40.26N/89.04W        
1 SW LANE                    -40 F     0850 AM 01/30   40.12N/88.86W        

...DOUGLAS COUNTY...
1 WSW BOURBON                -40 F     0630 AM 01/30   39.74N/88.40W        
HINDSBORO                    -37 F     0630 AM 01/30   39.69N/88.14W        
NEWMAN                       -26 F     1017 AM 01/30   39.80N/87.98W        

...EDGAR COUNTY...
EDGAR COUNTY AP              -37 F     0715 AM 01/30   39.70N/87.67W        

...EFFINGHAM COUNTY...
ALTAMONT                     -36 F     0709 AM 01/30   39.06N/88.74W        
EFFINGHAM COUNTY MEM AP      -32 F     0655 AM 01/30   39.07N/88.53W        
TEUTOPOLIS                   -24 F     0700 AM 01/30   39.13N/88.48W        

...JASPER COUNTY...
NEWTON                       -23 F     0745 AM 01/30   38.98N/88.17W        
NEWTON                       -21 F     0647 AM 01/30   38.98N/88.16W        

...KNOX COUNTY...
GALESBURG MUNI AP            -48 F     0555 AM 01/30   40.94N/90.43W        
GALESBURG                    -42 F     0444 AM 01/30   40.95N/90.39W        
WILLIAMSFIELD                -40 F     0756 AM 01/30   40.93N/90.02W        

...LAWRENCE COUNTY...
LAWRENCEVILLE AP             -28 F     0749 AM 01/30   38.76N/87.61W        
MT CARMEL AP                 -26 F     0815 AM 01/30   38.61N/87.73W        

...LOGAN COUNTY...
NEW HOLLAND                  -40 F     0500 AM 01/30   40.17N/89.58W        

...MACON COUNTY...
1 NNW WARRENSBURG            -47 F     0550 AM 01/30   39.96N/89.08W        
2 S FORSYTH                  -45 F     0725 AM 01/30   39.89N/88.95W        
MOUNT ZION                   -44 F     0625 AM 01/30   39.77N/88.87W        
DECATUR AP                   -42 F     0554 AM 01/30   39.83N/88.87W        
2 SW DECATUR                 -38 F     0644 AM 01/30   39.82N/88.97W        

...MARSHALL COUNTY...
MARSHALL COUNTY ARPT.        -48 F     0435 AM 01/30   41.02N/89.39W        

...MCLEAN COUNTY...
CENTRAL ILLINOIS AIRPORT     -53 F     0556 AM 01/30   40.48N/88.92W        
BLOOMINGTON                  -53 F     0659 AM 01/30   40.47N/88.96W        
2 WNW TOWANDA                -51 F     0649 AM 01/30   40.58N/88.95W        
1 NNE PLEASANT HILL          -48 F     0829 AM 01/30   40.64N/88.73W        
HEYWORTH                     -41 F     0638 AM 01/30   40.31N/88.97W        
ARROWSMITH                   -38 F     0616 AM 01/30   40.45N/88.63W        
BELLFLOWER                   -37 F     0601 AM 01/30   40.34N/88.53W        
1 S COOKSVILLE               -34 F     1131 AM 01/30   40.51N/88.72W        

...MENARD COUNTY...
2 NNE ASHLAND                -40 F     0530 AM 01/30   39.92N/89.99W        
PETERSBURG                   -25 F     0525 AM 01/30   40.01N/89.86W        

...MORGAN COUNTY...
JACKSONVILLE MUNI AP         -39 F     0415 AM 01/30   39.77N/90.24W        
1 N CONCORD                  -34 F     0814 AM 01/30   39.84N/90.37W        

...MOULTRIE COUNTY...
SULLIVAN                     -44 F     0740 AM 01/30   39.60N/88.61W        

...PEORIA COUNTY...
PEORIA AIRPORT               -44 F     0354 AM 01/30   40.67N/89.68W        
1 NE ALTA                    -38 F     0643 AM 01/30   40.83N/89.62W        
HANNA CITY                   -37 F     0515 AM 01/30   40.69N/89.80W        
1 E PEORIA                   -37 F     0614 AM 01/30   40.74N/89.58W        
ALTA                         -35 F     0508 AM 01/30   40.82N/89.62W        

...RICHLAND COUNTY...
OLNEY NOBLE AP               -30 F     0735 AM 01/30   38.72N/88.18W        

...SANGAMON COUNTY...
1 ENE SPRINGFIELD            -43 F     0534 AM 01/30   39.79N/89.62W        
SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP       -40 F     0552 AM 01/30   39.84N/89.68W        
1 E SPRINGFIELD              -37 F     0924 AM 01/30   39.78N/89.62W        
2 SSE CURRAN                 -30 F     0547 AM 01/30   39.70N/89.76W        

...SCHUYLER COUNTY...
2 WNW BROWNING               -31 F     0900 AM 01/30   40.14N/90.42W        

...SCOTT COUNTY...
WINCHESTER                   -30 F     0555 AM 01/30   39.63N/90.45W        

...SHELBY COUNTY...
MOWEAQUA                     -41 F     0829 AM 01/30   39.63N/89.02W        
3 NNW TOWER HILL             -37 F     0830 AM 01/30   39.44N/88.98W        
COWDEN                       -35 F     0649 AM 01/30   39.25N/88.86W        
1 SSE CLARKSBURG             -32 F     1020 AM 01/30   39.32N/88.74W        

...STARK COUNTY...
BRADFORD                     -50 F     0431 AM 01/30   41.18N/89.66W        
WYOMING                      -32 F     0915 AM 01/30   41.06N/89.77W        

...TAZEWELL COUNTY...
1 NNW MORTON                 -48 F     0625 AM 01/30   40.63N/89.48W        
2 E SOUTH PEKIN              -47 F     0506 AM 01/30   40.49N/89.60W        
2 NNE WASHINGTON             -41 F     0531 AM 01/30   40.74N/89.42W        
3 ENE EAST PEORIA            -40 F     0645 AM 01/30   40.68N/89.53W        
1 NE EAST PEORIA             -39 F     0501 AM 01/30   40.69N/89.53W        
1 ENE WASHINGTON             -37 F     0531 AM 01/30   40.70N/89.42W        
PEORIA LOCK AND DAM          -36 F     0230 AM 01/30   40.63N/89.63W        
1 SSW GOODFIELD              -29 F     0446 AM 01/30   40.61N/89.28W        
DELAVAN                      -29 F     0933 AM 01/30   40.36N/89.54W        

...VERMILION COUNTY...
4 S ARMSTRONG                -43 F     0730 AM 01/30   40.26N/87.88W        
1 N TILTON                   -42 F     0706 AM 01/30   40.11N/87.64W        
VERMILION RGL AP             -42 F     0735 AM 01/30   40.20N/87.60W        
3 SE RANKIN                  -42 F     0800 AM 01/30   40.42N/87.85W        
2 WSW FITHIAN                -35 F     0635 AM 01/30   40.10N/87.90W        

...WOODFORD COUNTY...
EL PASO                      -48 F     0633 AM 01/30   40.74N/89.01W        
1 NNE EUREKA                 -33 F     0701 AM 01/30   40.73N/89.27W        
MINONK                       -33 F     0846 AM 01/30   40.89N/89.03W        
1 NW METAMORA                -31 F     0530 AM 01/30   40.81N/89.38W        

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS 
FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

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