● Midwest Climate Normals
Chicago, IL Weather History
Brisk lake breezes, freezing polar-vortex winters with heavy snow, and hot, humid summer festivals.
The Honest Verdict
Chicago summers are vibrant and beautiful, but winter will test your will to live when the wind off Lake Michigan turns the air into needles.
Historical Temperature Anomaly Trend (1950 → 2026)
Annual High / Low
59.8° / 43.3°
Yearly mean average
Annual Precipitation
40.9"
125 rain days per year
Annual Snowfall
38.4"
Average season accumulation
Sunshine & Frost
189 days
185 frost-free days
Month-by-Month Climate Normals
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Precip | Rain Days | Snow | Sun % | Record High | Record Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.6°F | 16.5°F | 2.45" | 11 | 11.3" | 43% | 67° | -27° |
| Feb | 35.7°F | 19.8°F | 2.18" | 9 | 10.7" | 48% | 75° | -21° |
| Mar | 46.6°F | 29.2°F | 2.87" | 11 | 5.6" | 53% | 88° | -12° |
| Apr | 59°F | 39.8°F | 4.18" | 12 | 1.2" | 56% | 91° | 7° |
| May | 70°F | 49.9°F | 4.49" | 12 | 0" | 61% | 98° | 27° |
| Jun | 79.7°F | 60.1°F | 4.1" | 11 | 0" | 67% | 104° | 35° |
| Jul | 84.2°F | 65.9°F | 3.71" | 10 | 0" | 69% | 105° | 45° |
| Aug | 82.1°F | 64.9°F | 4.25" | 9 | 0" | 67% | 102° | 42° |
| Sep | 75.3°F | 57.1°F | 3.19" | 9 | 0" | 64% | 101° | 29° |
| Oct | 62.8°F | 45.4°F | 3.43" | 10 | 0.2" | 57% | 89° | 10° |
| Nov | 48.4°F | 33.4°F | 3.12" | 10 | 1.8" | 42% | 81° | -2° |
| Dec | 36.6°F | 22.4°F | 2.87" | 11 | 7.6" | 39% | 71° | -25° |
See your weather in historical context
Explore 70+ years of climate history and weather baselines in your pocket. Visualize trends with stripes, heatmaps, box plots, and station normals.