Climate of Chicago
| Chicago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Climate chart () | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
2.1
31
18
|
1.9
35
21
|
2.7
47
31
|
3.6
59
42
|
4.1
70
52
|
4.1
80
62
|
4
84
68
|
4
82
66
|
3.3
75
58
|
3.2
63
46
|
3.4
49
35
|
2.6
35
22
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °F | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in inches | |||||||||||
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||
| Metric conversion | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
52
0
−8
|
49
2
−6
|
69
8
−1
|
92
15
5
|
105
21
11
|
103
27
17
|
102
29
20
|
101
28
19
|
84
24
14
|
82
17
8
|
87
9
1
|
65
2
−5
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °C | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in mm | |||||||||||
The climate of Chicago is classified as humid continental (Köppen Dfa), with all four seasons distinctly represented: wet, cool springs; somewhat hot, and often humid, summers; pleasantly mild autumns; and cold winters. Annual precipitation in Chicago is average, and reaches its lowest points in the months of January and February, and peaks in the months of May and June. Chicago's weather is influenced by the nearby presence of Lake Michigan during all four seasons.
The National Weather Service office in Chicago has one of the longest periods of official weather records, dating back to 1870, though all of the 1870 and 1871 weather records taken at 181 West Washington Street were lost in the Great Chicago Fire. As for the two major airports located in Chicago, Midway Airport began observations in 1928, and O'Hare Airport began observations in 1958. Both sites have served as official observation locations, with the latter being the current location where Chicago's official weather data is recorded. For Midway Airport, weather data prior to July 1, 1942 and after January 16, 1980 are not part of the official climate record of Chicago. All weather data taken at O'Hare from the beginning of observations in 1958 until January 17, 1980 are not part of the official climate record of Chicago.
Here is a list of official weather locations for the Chicago office:
Note: Some of the addresses prior to 1909 are different than the post-1909 addresses
Winter in Chicago proves quite variable: Seasonal snowfall in the city has ranged from 9.8 inches (24.9 cm) (in 1920–21) up to 89.7 in (228 cm) (in 1978–79), and the average annual snowfall in Chicago is 36 inches (91 cm). Most winters produce many snow falls during the season in light accumulations of around 2 in (5.1 cm). Cities on the other side of Lake Michigan usually receive more snow than Chicago because of the lake-effect snow that falls on these communities, even though northeasterly winds can sometimes bring lake-effect snow to Chicago area too. However, every three years or so during the winter Chicago experiences a heavier snowstorm that can produce over 10 in (25 cm) of snow over a 1- to 3-day period, a level of snowfall very often seen in cities on the "snowbelt" on other side of the lake such as Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and South Bend, Indiana.
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Wikipedia