Honestly, if you've spent more than a week in Macoupin County, you know the drill. You check the app, see a "moderate" temperature, and five minutes later you're digging for the heavy parka because a wind gust just cut straight through your flannel. It’s basically a local rite of passage.
Right now, Carlinville is sitting at a crisp 11°F.
But that number is a bit of a lie. With the wind coming out of the west at 7 mph, the real-feel temperature is hovering at a brutal 1°F. It’s the kind of cold that makes your nose hairs freeze the second you step off your porch.
The sky is partly cloudy tonight, and while there's technically a 2% chance of snow, it’s mostly just bone-dry, midwestern air.
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The Carlinville IL Weather Forecast: Breaking Down the Week
Sunday looks a bit more manageable on paper. We’re aiming for a high of 26°F. Not exactly tropical, but a definite step up from the single-digit wind chills. However, the clouds are moving back in.
Expect a cloudy day followed by a clear night with a low of 8°F.
Wait, it gets weirder.
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Monday, January 19, is going to be a bright, sunny day. You’d think that’s good news, right? Nope. The high actually drops back down to 15°F. It’s that deceptive Illinois sun—looks beautiful through the window, feels like an ice bath the moment you open the door.
What the Next Few Days Look Like
If you’re looking for a break, circle Wednesday on your calendar. It’s our "heat wave" for the week.
- Tuesday: We climb to 33°F under partly sunny skies.
- Wednesday: A high of 39°F. It might actually feel like spring for about four hours.
- Thursday: Back down to 32°F, mostly sunny.
Don't get too comfortable with that 39-degree spike. By next weekend, the bottom drops out again. Saturday and Sunday (Jan 24-25) are showing highs of only 18°F and 13°F, respectively, with a much better chance of actual snow showers—up to 40% by Sunday night.
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Why 2026 Feels Different
There's a lot of chatter about the "Arctic Revenge" hitting the eastern half of the U.S. right now. It's not just talk. According to recent National Weather Service updates, a clipper system is dragging that bitter air right over us.
Historically, January is Carlinville's coldest month. The average high is usually around 37°F, but we aren't even sniffing that for most of this week. We’re well below the "normal" marks.
If you're planning to be out near the Square or heading out toward Blackburn College, just be ready for the wind. That 15 mph breeze on Monday might not sound like much, but when the air is already 15°F, it pushes the danger level up for anyone working outside.
Survival Steps for the Deep Freeze
- Drip the Faucets: When it hits 8°F tonight, those pipes in older Carlinville homes get cranky. Keep a slow drip going on any exterior-wall sinks.
- Layers, Not Bulk: Wear a base layer that wicks moisture. Sweat is your enemy in 1°F wind chill; if you get damp, you stay cold.
- Check Your Tires: Cold air makes tire pressure plummet. If your "low air" light came on this morning, it's not a glitch—it's the physics of Illinois in January.
- Watch the Pets: If it's too cold for you to stand outside in a coat for ten minutes, it's too cold for the dog. Short trips only.
Stay warm out there. The Carlinville IL weather forecast is a moving target, but for the next 48 hours, "bitter" is the only word that really fits.