Chicago Midway, IL Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Chicago Midway's primary NOAA station, CHICAGO MIDWAY AP - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Chicago Midway
Chicago Midway, Illinois has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 52°F. Its climate comfort score of 68/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 56% of station-mapped location scores.
- 52°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 68/100
- comfort score, above 56% of station-mapped location scores
- 34.4"
- annual precipitation
- 203 days
- frost-free growing season
Chicago Midway: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00014819 · Chicago Midway, IL 52°F mean · 34.4" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 52°F
- RANK-MID #3,431
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Ordway
- PRCP-MID 34.4"
- SWING-WIDE 50°F
- COMF-MID 68/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,753 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00014819
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Ordway, CO (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every IL station list.
- Chicago Midway (this station) 52°F
- Cold Congerville, IL 52°F
- Hot Fort Madison, IA 52°F
- Near Ordway, CO 52°F
- Near Keokuk Lock Dam, IA 52°F
Climate Living Index · Chicago Midway
Chicago Midway: 65/100 · grade C
Chicago Midway publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Chicago Midway, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 68/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 34.4 in · 0.6 from 35 in | 95/100 · A |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 114 calendar days | 68/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 203 days/year | 66/100 · C |
| Summer moisture balance | 61.1°F mean dew point | 55/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 52.1°F · 15.4° from 67.5°F | 50/100 · D |
Chicago Midway · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Chicago Midway is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 26.0°F and warmest-month mean 76.3°F place this station in continental, no dry season, hot summer climates (Dfa). Class Dfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfa
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 76.3°F
- Coldest month
- 26.0°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Chicago Midway sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Chicago Midway's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 50th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- 47th percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 82%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Chicago Midway is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Chicago Midway compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Chicago Midway's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
68 Top 44% score exceeds 56% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Chicago Midway's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 115 complete annual observations from 1873 to 2025, CHICAGO MIDWAY AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.11°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Chicago Midway primary station fitted change +0.11 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F (0°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 1.5" | N/A | 27.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 37°F (3°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 1.5" | N/A | 23.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 48°F (9°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 1.9" | N/A | 17.6 | 0.0 |
| April | 60°F (16°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 3.6" | N/A | 3.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 71°F (22°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 62°F (16°C) | 4.1" | N/A | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| June | 81°F (27°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 4.0" | N/A | 0.0 | 4.5 |
| July | 85°F (29°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 76°F (25°C) | 3.5" | N/A | 0.0 | 8.0 |
| August | 83°F (28°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 4.0" | N/A | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| September | 76°F (25°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 2.8" | N/A | 0.0 | 2.2 |
| October | 63°F (17°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 3.5" | N/A | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| November | 49°F (10°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 2.4" | N/A | 10.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 38°F (3°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 1.8" | N/A | 23.7 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 85°F around July 9, short of 90°F on every date, while 114 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 19°F near January 18.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 16, then returns to freezing around November 24, covering 114 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 10, when 42% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is February 8 at 28%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 122 wet dates a year.
The widest day
May 4 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 19°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Chicago Midway.
Where Chicago Midway Stands Nationally
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 19°F.
Chicago Midway earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
8.4 days with precipitation
8.1 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
11.5 days with precipitation
13.0 days with precipitation
11.8 days with precipitation
9.7 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
8.9 days with precipitation
11.5 days with precipitation
9.1 days with precipitation
9.5 days with precipitation
Chicago Midway spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 34% of the annual total and December through February 14%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Chicago Midway has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 50.3°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 4.1" and February 1.5". The three wettest months together take 35% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
How Chicago Midway's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 121 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 34.4" between them, or roughly 0.28 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 31
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 11
50% probability date
Growing Season
203 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,753
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,111
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71% | 10.7 | 16% | 50% |
| February | 67% | 11.0 | 18% | 47% |
| March | 62% | 11.2 | 19% | 41% |
| April | 59% | 10.8 | 16% | 35% |
| May | 63% | 9.3 | 14% | 28% |
| June | 62% | 8.7 | 19% | 18% |
| July | 63% | 8.1 | 23% | 18% |
| August | 65% | 8.5 | 28% | 19% |
| September | 64% | 9.2 | 25% | 26% |
| October | 65% | 10.4 | 14% | 45% |
| November | 71% | 10.6 | 13% | 52% |
| December | 73% | 10.7 | 13% | 51% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside IL closest to Chicago Midway on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (52°F here).
- Canon City, CO 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Donora, PA 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Dyer, NV 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Everett, WA 52°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (34.4" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Logan, IA 34.4" · 0.0" off
- Battle Creek, MI 34.4" · 0.0" off
- Youngstown, NY 34.4" · 0.0" off
- Dodge, WI 34.4" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Chicago Midway's climate pattern fits together
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Chicago Midway's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,753 annual heating degree days against 1,111 for cooling. Its 50.3°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Chicago Midway's frost-free season lasts about 203 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Chicago Midway's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 50.3°F. The annual average is 52°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Chicago Midway's 34.4 inches of annual precipitation falls in PlainClimate's middle band, so “wet” or “dry” is not the leading description. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. Temperature balance and the calendar distribution carry more information than the annual moisture label alone.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Chicago Midway's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Chicago Midway, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Chicago Midway's climate
How much rain does Chicago Midway get? ▼
How cold does Chicago Midway get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Chicago Midway? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Chicago Midway's primary station: CHICAGO MIDWAY AP (USW00014819). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Chicago Midway area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Chicago Midway; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Chicago Midway comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.