Here's how much snow Shelby County, Illinois received in January

Over just three days this year, two counties in Colorado received over 50 inches of snow. The accumulation was above both counties' previous three-day records, and they weren't alone in experiencing extreme winter weather and snow last month.

A polar vortex brought intense cold and winter storms across much of the country during January 2024. Over 2,500 counties saw records for daily temperature minimums between Jan. 14-18. For North America as a whole, it was a snowier month than usual.

In a single day, Nashville, Tennessee, received 6 inches of snow, more than it typically receives over an entire winter. Seattle received a blizzard warning for the first time since 2012. Juneau, Alaska, also set a record for total January snowfall, recording 76 inches at its airport weather station.

January's high snowfall may not carry through the rest of the season. Temperature forecasts show a warmer-than-average February for much of the continental U.S. and Alaska.

An analysis from Climate Central found that fall and spring snowfalls decreased in every region of the country between 1970-2019. Winter snow trends were more variable, with only the South seeing declining snowfall long term.

Decreasing snowfall from climate change impacts more than just sledding and building a snowman. Forecasts show warmer temperatures drive declining ski seasons, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, where local economies can be driven by winter tourism. Inconsistent winter snowpack from year to year has caused unpredictable water access in the West.

To recap January's weather ahead of what's predicted to be a less cold February, Stacker used data from the National Centers for Environmental Information to break down how much snow Shelby County, Illinois received in January, highlighting the snowiest day of the month and how this year's January temperatures compare to years past.

The snowfall total is based on the weather station in Shelby County, Illinois that recorded the most snow and also had no more than nine missing days of data. Since this data is only for one weather station, it may not reflect the snowfall patterns across the entire county. On some days, stations report trace snowfall, which is included as a data point but not as part of the overall total for the month. Supplementary data on the average temperature in January 2024 is also included.

Snowfall data
- Total January snowfall: 7.0 inches
- Day of maximum snowfall: Jan. 19 (3.3 inches)
- 1 day with missing data
- Weather station: Shelbyville Dam (650 feet elevation)

Temperature data
- Average January 2024 temperature: 27.8 F
- #63 coldest since 1895, 1 F above 1901-2000 average

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 1,513 counties.