Temps reach 67° in first week of 2023
With the Gazebo in the Carlinville Square still decorated for Christmas, the time and temperature sign at CNB in the square shows unseasonably warm temperatures. Enquirer~Democrat photo by Erin Sanson.
By ERIN SANSON
Enquirer~Democrat Reporter
After experiencing the single digit temperatures in the last two weeks of 2022, few expected a significant increase in temperature so quickly into the new year.
That is exactly what Macoupin County felt as temperatures soared from 3 degrees, without the windchill factor, on Dec. 23, up to 67 degrees less than two weeks later.
The temperature in Carlinville on Jan. 3, 67 degrees, beat the highest temperature on record for the same day in Springfield, which was 62 degrees in 1998. The high temperature fell just one degree short of St. Louis’ highest temperature on Jan. 3, where it reached 68 degrees in 1939.
In spite of beating Springfield’s Jan. 3 temperature record, the highest recorded January temperature in the area remained just out of reach.
Springfield recorded the highest January temperature on Jan. 23, 1909 when temperatures reached 73 degrees.
Carlinville was also 10 degrees short of St. Louis’ highest January temperature which reached 77 degrees on Jan. 24, 1950.
Despite the warm weather that began the month, temperatures are expected to drop back to normal for the rest of the month with temperatures in the 30s and 40s.
