Your trips
Organize your trips easily with tabs
New York
– Chicago
Any date
+ Search
When is the best time to visit Chicago?
In general the best time to visit Chicago is probably July, when the weather is usually great. The hottest months are June, July, August, while the coldest months are January, February, December.
Depending on the activities you want to experience, you may choose different months to visit:
- The best time for a sun tanning holiday is June, July, August. Average maximum temperatures are up to +82°F in July and it has 4 sunny days on average.
- In general, it’s pleasant to walk and do outdoor activities during May - September.
- If you want to avoid wet weather, then your choice is January, February, December with the lowest chance of rain.
Average weather in Chicago in different months
This is the average weather in Chicago for each month based on historic data:
May, June, July, August, September, October usually has good weather. Average maximum temperature reaches +82°F during July.
In January, February, March, April, November, December the weather is average. Expect around 40 rainy days, and the precipitation amounts to approximately 93 mm in April.
Climate in Chicago
Here is the detailed breakdown of the climate in Chicago for each month:
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +64°F | +64°F | +77°F | +86°F | +97°F | +100°F | +104°F | +100°F | +97°F | +88°F | +75°F | +72°F |
| Average Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +32°F | +34°F | +43°F | +54°F | +66°F | +77°F | +82°F | +81°F | +73°F | +61°F | +48°F | +37°F |
| Minimum Temperature | |||||||||||
| -22°F | -15°F | -4°F | +18°F | +32°F | +43°F | +55°F | +52°F | +41°F | +28°F | +9°F | -17°F |
| Avg. water temperature | |||||||||||
| +41°F | +39°F | +40°F | +45°F | +50°F | +69°F | +77°F | +77°F | +74°F | +65°F | +54°F | +47°F |
| Humidity, % | |||||||||||
| 73 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 67 | 67 | 69 | 73 |
| Rain, mm | |||||||||||
| 23 | 21 | 50 | 93 | 101 | 91 | 94 | 90 | 75 | 81 | 70 | 42 |
| Snow, mm | |||||||||||
| 30 | 30 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| Average wind speed, m/s | |||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Sunny Days | |||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Cloud Days | |||||||||||
| 15 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| Rainy Days | |||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 6 |
| Snowy Days | |||||||||||
| 11 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Average Temperature
Here are the average maximum and minimum temperatures in Chicago during the whole year:
The hottest month in Chicago is July with average maximum temperature going up to +82°F. The coldest month is January with the lowest temperatures of +21°F.
Water temperature
Here are the water temperatures in Chicago during the whole year:
Chicago achieves its warmest water temperature in August, where the average sea temperature goes up to +74°F. Coldest water temperature is in February with +37°F in average.
When can you swim in Chicago?
You can swim in Chicago from July to August:
- In July - August the water is comfortable (70°F - 77°F);
Humidity
The temperature feels different depending on humidity. Here is how humidity in Chicago looks throughout the year, in %:
The most humid month in Chicago is December with average humidity going up to 73%. The least humid month is April with an average humidity of 64%.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm. in Chicago during the whole year based on historical data:
The sunniest and driest month is September with approximately 7 sunny days and a total precipitation of around 75 mm. The rainiest and wettest month is May with approximately 13 rainy days and 101 mm of total precipitation.
Snow
Amount of snow in mm. in Chicago during the whole year based on historical data:
The snowiest month is February with approximately 9 snowy days.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Chicago:
What is the hottest month in Chicago?
The hottest month in Chicago is July with average maximum temperature of +82°F.
What is the coldest month in Chicago?
The coldest month in Chicago is January with minimum temperatures of +21°F.
Is Chicago worth visiting in winter?
Winter in Chicago could be a good time to visit, as the weather is generally ok.
When does it rain the least in Chicago?
if you're looking to visit Chicago when it rains the least, you should plan your trip for May, July, April. During this time, rainfall is rare with the driest month being February with only 21 mm of rain.
Other cities in USA
Check out the weather for other cities in USA.
Monthly weather in Chicago
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Chicago, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.