City in Illinois, United States
Chicago
Great Lakes city with cold, windy winters and regular snow off the plains and Lake Michigan.
Chicago snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Chicago pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Chicago?
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 265 m
- Population
- 2,746,388
When does it snow in Chicago?
In Chicago, snow falls on about 5 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 5 days | 2 days | 2 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 2 days | 3 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Chicago month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 29% | −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F) |
| February | 5 | 23% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| March | 2 | 13% | 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F) |
| April | 2 | 9% | 5 to 13 °C (41 to 55 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 17 to 26 °C (63 to 79 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 19 to 27 °C (66 to 81 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 17 to 24 °C (63 to 75 °F) |
| October | <1 | 1% | 10 to 17 °C (50 to 63 °F) |
| November | 2 | 11% | 2 to 9 °C (36 to 48 °F) |
| December | 3 | 14% | −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F) |
Snow in Chicago in December
In December, Chicago gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F).
Snow in Chicago in January
In January, Chicago gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 29% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F).
Snow in Chicago in February
In February, Chicago gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 23% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Chicago in March
In March, Chicago gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Chicago?
Of the last ten winters in Chicago, 2018/19 was the snowiest, about 61% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 37% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 26 November 2018.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 66% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 105% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 161% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 117% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 127% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 105% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 80% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 78% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 63% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 98% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Chicago
Does Chicago have snow at Christmas?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 4 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow at New Year?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 7 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow in mid-February?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 9 of those years.
Does Chicago have snow at Easter?
Chicago had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Chicago?
It snows on about 18 days a year in Chicago, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 5 days.
What is the snowiest month in Chicago?
January is the snowiest month in Chicago, bringing about 29% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Chicago?
Of the last ten winters in Chicago, 2018/19 was the snowiest, about 61% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 37% below average.
How cold does Chicago get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Chicago, with average daily lows of −6 °C (21 °F) and highs of 1 °C (34 °F).
Snow forecasts near Chicago
Sources: Chicago on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates