Thermograph

How unusual is the weather? Graded against ~45 years of local climate history.

Chicago, Illinois, United States weather records

Record high and low temperatures for Chicago, Illinois, United States, by month, by season, and all-time, with the dates they occurred, across 1981–2026 of daily climate history. Its hottest day on record reached 94°F on 2012-07-06; its coldest fell to -19°F on 1982-01-10.

Records by month

The warmest (▲) and coldest (▼) both the daytime high and the overnight low have ever been in each calendar month, so each column shows its record high and its record low. Tap a month for its full averages and typical range.

MonthDaytime highOvernight low
January
54°F2000-01-02
-6°F1994-01-18
43°F2007-01-05
-19°F1982-01-10
February
59°F1999-02-11
1°F1996-02-02
44°F2024-02-27
-5°F1996-02-02
March
70°F2012-03-22
12°F2019-03-04
55°F2012-03-20
1°F2015-03-06
April
73°F2002-04-17
29°F1995-04-04
56°F2002-04-17
21°F1995-04-04
May
84°F2018-05-27
39°F1989-05-06
66°F2018-05-30
32°F1989-05-06
June
87°F2012-06-28
47°F1982-06-03
74°F2025-06-26
39°F2003-06-01
July
94°F2012-07-06
60°F1996-07-03
79°F1999-07-30
53°F1982-07-01
August
91°F1988-08-16
60°F1994-08-09
79°F2006-08-02
50°F1986-08-28
September
87°F2011-09-01
50°F1984-09-26
76°F2011-09-02
41°F1985-09-24
October
83°F2025-10-03
39°F1988-10-30
69°F2007-10-07
30°F1981-10-24
November
68°F2016-11-01
22°F1986-11-13
60°F2024-11-04
15°F1986-11-13
December
62°F2001-12-05
-2°F1983-12-24
53°F2015-12-13
-14°F1983-12-24

Records by season

The warmest (▲) and coldest (▼) both the daytime high and the overnight low have reached in each meteorological season (Northern Hemisphere, each a three-month span).

SeasonDaytime highOvernight low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
62°F2001-12-05
-6°F1994-01-18
53°F2015-12-13
-19°F1982-01-10
Spring (Mar–May)
84°F2018-05-27
12°F2019-03-04
66°F2018-05-30
1°F2015-03-06
Summer (Jun–Aug)
94°F2012-07-06
47°F1982-06-03
79°F1999-07-30
39°F2003-06-01
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
87°F2011-09-01
22°F1986-11-13
76°F2011-09-02
15°F1986-11-13

All-time records

The most extreme value Chicago has recorded for each metric across its entire history.

High

Highest 94°F 2012-07-06
Lowest -6°F 1994-01-18

Low

Highest 79°F 1999-07-30
Lowest -19°F 1982-01-10

Feels-like

Highest 115°F 2012-07-06
Lowest -55°F 1982-01-10

Humidity

Highest 23.2 g/m³ 2010-07-23
Lowest 0.8 g/m³ 1982-01-10

Wind

Highest 47 mph 1998-11-10
Lowest 3 mph 2020-01-29

Precip

Wettest 4.43 in 2018-02-20
Driest 24-day dry spell 1988-05-26

For rainfall, the “driest” figure is the longest run of consecutive days without measurable rain, dated to when that dry spell began.

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