IL Winters Are Getting Warmer, Analysis of 45 Years Of Data Shows

ILLINOIS— Winter temperatures in Illinois have warmed by more than a half-degree since 1980, according to a new analysis looking at how climate change has contributed to warmer winters in most of the country. The analysis of winter temperature data from 1980-2024 by Harry Stevens, a columnist for The Washington Post’s Climate Lab section, showed 86 percent of the continental U.S. has trended toward warmer winters over the past nearly 45 years. About 14 percent of the country is getting colder. In Chicago, winter has warmed 0.55 degrees per decade...