Chicago weather in February: Chicago, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for February
Chicago in February has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 22°F, a daily mean of 29°F, rising from 32°F on the 1st to 41°F by the 29th. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal February, 1.97 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −6°C, 50 mm of precipitation and 27 cm of snow in February.
- NOAA stationChicago O'Hare International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094846
- Location41.99°N 87.93°W
- Elevation658 ft (201 m)
- From the center17 miles
- Population2,721,308
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 36° 22°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 59° 40°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 85° 66°
- Aug 83° 65°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 63° 45°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Chicago in February?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 22°F, for a daily mean of 28.8°F. February is 3.6°F warmer than January and 10.2°F cooler than March. February is the 11th warmest month of the year in Chicago and the 12th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 32°F on February 1 to 41°F on February 29. From one year to the next February's mean temperature typically moves about 5.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Februarys in three average between 23°F and 34°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1 | 32°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% |
| February 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 33% | 15% |
| February 15 | 36°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% |
| February 22 | 38°F | 24°F | 33% | 17% |
| February 28 | 41°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% |
Every day of February: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon February 29, coldest night February 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1 | 32°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h |
| February 2 | 32°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h |
| February 3 | 32°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h |
| February 4 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| February 5 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| February 6 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| February 7 | 33°F | 20°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| February 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| February 9 | 34°F | 20°F | 33% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| February 10 | 34°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| February 11 | 34°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| February 12 | 35°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 30 min |
| February 13 | 35°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 30 min |
| February 14 | 35°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 30 min |
| February 15 | 36°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 30 min |
| February 16 | 36°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% | 10 h 40 min |
| February 17 | 36°F | 22°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| February 18 | 37°F | 23°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| February 19 | 37°F | 23°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| February 20 | 37°F | 23°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| February 21 | 38°F | 24°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| February 22 | 38°F | 24°F | 33% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| February 23 | 39°F | 24°F | 33% | 17% | 11 h |
| February 24 | 39°F | 25°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h |
| February 25 | 39°F | 25°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h |
| February 26 | 40°F | 25°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h |
| February 27 | 40°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| February 28 | 41°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| February 29 | 41°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FFebruary average
- Normal low
- 22°FFebruary average
- Precipitation
- 1.97 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 10.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24
- Daylight
- 10 h to 11 h 10 minFebruary 1 to February 28
- Sunshine
- 63%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094846; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Chicago in February?
On a given February day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around February 28 (34%). In all, 1.97 in falls on 9 days of a normal February.
In a normal February in Chicago, 24 nights fall to freezing, 11 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 10.7 inches.
Snow falls on 6 days in a normal February, and an inch or more covers the ground on 12 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094846.
How humid and windy is Chicago in February?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 37°F with 57% relative humidity and a dew point of 23°F; at 6 a.m. it is 27°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 10.9 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 27°F | 21°F | 78% | 9.6 mph | 28% |
| 9 a.m. | 31°F | 22°F | 70% | 11.4 mph | 26% |
| noon | 35°F | 23°F | 60% | 12.4 mph | 20% |
| 3 p.m. | 37°F | 23°F | 57% | 12.6 mph | 21% |
| 6 p.m. | 34°F | 23°F | 65% | 11.5 mph | 23% |
| 9 p.m. | 32°F | 23°F | 71% | 10.3 mph | 33% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094846. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for February in Chicago?
The warmest February temperature on Chicago's official record (since 1872) is 75°F, on February 27, 1976; the coldest is −21°F, on February 9, 1899. The wettest February brought 5.56 in (1997); the snowiest, 29.0 inches (2011).
The February mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 28.8°F: 2021 20.2°F (−8.6), 2022 27.4°F (−1.4), 2023 33.9°F (+5.1), 2024 39.5°F (+10.7), 2025 27.2°F (−1.6), 2026 33.0°F (+4.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| February | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20.2°F | −8.6°F | 1.25 in |
| 2022 | 27.4°F | −1.4°F | 2.59 in |
| 2023 | 33.9°F | +5.1°F | 3.83 in |
| 2024 | 39.5°F | +10.7°F | 0.65 in |
| 2025 | 27.2°F | −1.6°F | 0.52 in |
| 2026 | 33.0°F | +4.2°F | 0.16 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ORDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094846. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does February in Chicago compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, February normal highs run from 31°F in Galena to 50°F in Anna; Chicago's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.