Chicago month by month
Plan your visit to Chicago by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
- January
- High
- 0°C
- Low
- -7°C
- Rain
- 68 mm
January is the coldest month in Chicago, full stop. The average high barely touches 0°C (32°F), while nights regularly drop to -7°C (19°F). Factor in wind off Lake Michigan, and…
- February
- High
- 2°C
- Low
- -6°C
- Rain
- 52 mm
February in Chicago is cold in a way that reshapes how you move through the city. Average highs reach only 2°C (36°F), and lows drop to -6°C (21°F), but the wind off Lake Michigan…
- March
- High
- 9°C
- Low
- 0°C
- Rain
- 97 mm
March in Chicago is defined by one thing above all else. St. Patrick's Day. The city dyes the Chicago River a startling shade of green, typically on the Saturday before March 17,…
- April
- High
- 14°C
- Low
- 5°C
- Rain
- 83 mm
April in Chicago is a coin flip, and that's the single most important thing to know before you book. The city might hand you a 22°C (72°F) afternoon along the Lakefront Trail on…
- May
- High
- 19°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 91 mm
May is the month Chicago remembers it has a lakefront. After 5 months of temperatures that regularly dip below freezing, the average high reaches 19°C (67°F) and the whole city…
- June
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 17°C
- Rain
- 102 mm
June might be the month Chicago has been waiting for all year. After 5 months of temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the city settles into warm days that average 26.4°C (80°F) with…
- July
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 164 mm
July is the month Chicago lives for. After 5 months of cold that regularly drops below freezing, the city pours itself outdoors the moment summer arrives, and July is the…
- August
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 102 mm
August is Chicago's loudest month. Lollapalooza takes over Grant Park during the first weekend, the Air and Water Show sends military jets screaming over North Avenue Beach around…
- September
- High
- 24°C
- Low
- 16°C
- Rain
- 83 mm
September is likely the best month to visit Chicago. The thick humidity that hangs over the city through July and August has loosened its grip, daytime highs settle around 24°C…
- October
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 111 mm
October in Chicago is fall foliage season along the lakefront, and it might be the most visually striking version of this city you'll ever see. Daytime temperatures average around…
- November
- High
- 10°C
- Low
- 2°C
- Rain
- 55 mm
November is when Chicago commits to winter. The average high sits around 9.5°C (49°F), the average low around 2.3°C (36°F), and the wind off Lake Michigan regularly shaves another…
- December
- High
- 4°C
- Low
- -3°C
- Rain
- 67 mm
December in Chicago is defined by cold. Not a pleasant autumn chill, but raw, wind-driven cold that cuts through most coats within minutes, especially near Lake Michigan. Average…