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.

Chicago's year runs from a January high of 0°C to a July and August peak of 27°C. February stays near freezing at 2°C but brings only 7 rain days, drier than January's 10. March and April carry the year's heaviest wet-weather counts at 12 and 13 rain days, even as temperatures climb from 9°C to 14°C. May reaches 19°C with 10 rain days, the turn toward summer. June through August form a plateau between 26°C and 27°C, with June logging 9 rain days, July 12, and August 10. September holds at 24°C with 7 rain days before October drops to 18°C and November to 10°C. December closes the year at 4°C.

All 12 month guides are linked below. If you're planning for June through August, start with June. It sits at 26°C with 9 rain days compared to July's 12 at 27°C. September's page covers 24°C and 7 rain days, a pairing no other month in Chicago's year matches. The March and April pages matter most if your dates fall in spring, since March records 12 rain days and April 13. For winter travel, February's 7 rain days make it the drier choice over January's 10.

April needs the closest read at 13 rain days and a high of 14°C. July pairs the year's peak of 27°C with 12 rain days, wetter than June at 9 or August at 10.

September reaches 24°C with 7 rain days, the only warm month in Chicago's year to record the lowest rain-day count.

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