The Chicago area has endured a week of frigid wind chills, so there are millions of residents undoubtedly waiting for the start of spring.
Before we get there however, there is a bit of good news about the amount of daylight we’re seeing in Illinois. As of Sunday, sunset is at approximately 4:51 p.m. in Chicago, about 30 minutes later than what we saw on the winter solstice several weeks ago.
In fact, Chicago is gaining approximately two minutes of daylight per day, and that rate will only increase as we move through the year.
As a result, the city is just one weeks away from its first 5 p.m. sunset of the year, which will fall on Sunday, Jan. 28.
What’s more, we are currently in our coldest stretch of the year on average, with average highs in mid-January settling around 31.1 degrees. There won’t be much of a gain by the end of the month, but beginning on Jan. 27 the average daily high begins to creep upward, according to the National Weather Service.
The next big milestone will come on March 19, when Chicago officially observes the spring equinox. That is 58 days away for those of you keeping track at home.
On that date, Chicago will see just over 12 hours of daylight, with an average high temperature of just over 48 degrees Fahrenheit.
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