Chicago Midway Airport, Illinois climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Chicago Midway Airport's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 34.4 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.2°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 29°C, 874 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationChicago Midway Airport
- Station IDUSW00014819
- Location41.79°N 87.75°W
- Elevation612 ft (187 m)
On October 22, the normal high in Chicago Midway Airport is 61°F and the normal low 44°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 36%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Chicago Midway Airport.
- Jan 33° 19°
- Feb 37° 23°
- Mar 48° 32°
- Apr 60° 41°
- May 71° 52°
- Jun 81° 62°
- Jul 85° 68°
- Aug 83° 66°
- Sep 76° 59°
- Oct 63° 47°
- Nov 49° 35°
- Dec 38° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Chicago Midway Airport each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F. The most precipitation falls in May (4.09 in), the least in February (1.46 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 19°F | 26.0°F | 1.48 | 8 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 30 min |
| February | 37°F | 23°F | 29.7°F | 1.46 | 8 | <1 | 23 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 48°F | 32°F | 39.6°F | 1.88 | 10 | <1 | 18 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 60°F | 41°F | 50.6°F | 3.57 | 12 | <1 | 3 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 71°F | 52°F | 61.5°F | 4.09 | 13 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 81°F | 62°F | 71.6°F | 4.01 | 12 | 5 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 85°F | 68°F | 76.3°F | 3.55 | 10 | 8 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 83°F | 66°F | 74.5°F | 3.99 | 10 | 4 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 76°F | 59°F | 67.5°F | 2.77 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 47°F | 54.9°F | 3.48 | 12 | <1 | 1 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 49°F | 35°F | 42.0°F | 2.35 | 9 | <1 | 11 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 38°F | 25°F | 31.3°F | 1.79 | 10 | <1 | 24 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 60°F | 44°F | 52.1°F | 34.42 | 121 | 20 | 106 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −7°C | −3.3°C | 38 mm |
| February | 3°C | −5°C | −1.3°C | 37 mm |
| March | 9°C | 0°C | 4.2°C | 48 mm |
| April | 16°C | 5°C | 10.3°C | 91 mm |
| May | 22°C | 11°C | 16.4°C | 104 mm |
| June | 27°C | 17°C | 22.0°C | 102 mm |
| July | 29°C | 20°C | 24.6°C | 90 mm |
| August | 28°C | 19°C | 23.6°C | 101 mm |
| September | 25°C | 15°C | 19.7°C | 70 mm |
| October | 17°C | 8°C | 12.7°C | 88 mm |
| November | 10°C | 2°C | 5.6°C | 60 mm |
| December | 3°C | −4°C | −0.4°C | 45 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Burbank (4 miles away), gets 39 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014819; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Chicago Midway Airport?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (9).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014819.
When is the last frost at Chicago Midway Airport?
In Chicago Midway Airport, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 11 in half of years and after April 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 31 in half of years and before October 20 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 111 year in 10 after April 27; 9 in 10 after March 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 311 year in 10 before October 20; 9 in 10 before November 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 201 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 225 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 1 in half of springs and before November 11 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chicago Midway Airport in zone 6a in ZIP code 60638, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, the station is in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −6°F (23 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Illinois · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00014819; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Chicago Midway Airport?
In a normal year in Chicago Midway Airport, 20 days a year reach 90°F, 106 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 121 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 20a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 106a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 39high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 121a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1928) is 107°F, on June 1, 1934; the lowest is −22°F, on January 30, 2019.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1970, with 46.09 in; the snowiest season is 1978–79, with 89.7 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00014819; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00014819. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is it at Chicago Midway Airport, and how clear are the skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 61°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 62°F; the driest air comes in January (18°F). March is the windiest month (11.2 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (48%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | 71% | 62% | 10.7 mph | 28% | 50% |
| February | 23°F | 67% | 56% | 11.0 mph | 30% | 47% |
| March | 32°F | 62% | 49% | 11.2 mph | 31% | 41% |
| April | 41°F | 59% | 47% | 10.8 mph | 31% | 35% |
| May | 53°F | 63% | 50% | 9.3 mph | 34% | 28% |
| June | 61°F | 62% | 49% | 8.7 mph | 41% | 18% |
| July | 62°F | 63% | 49% | 8.1 mph | 44% | 18% |
| August | 60°F | 65% | 51% | 8.5 mph | 48% | 19% |
| September | 49°F | 64% | 49% | 9.2 mph | 42% | 26% |
| October | 37°F | 65% | 53% | 10.4 mph | 26% | 45% |
| November | 28°F | 71% | 62% | 10.6 mph | 24% | 52% |
| December | 20°F | 73% | 65% | 10.7 mph | 27% | 51% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014819. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is it at Chicago Midway Airport?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Chicago Midway Airport, 3.8 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and January the cloudiest (59%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 59% | 1.6 |
| February | 63% | 2.5 |
| March | 67% | 3.6 |
| April | 69% | 4.7 |
| May | 70% | 5.4 |
| June | 77% | 6.1 |
| July | 80% | 6.2 |
| August | 79% | 5.3 |
| September | 79% | 4.4 |
| October | 70% | 2.9 |
| November | 66% | 1.9 |
| December | 59% | 1.4 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Chicago Midway Airport record?
A normal year at Chicago Midway Airport brings 5,753 heating degree days, 7% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,111 cooling degree days, 22% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,526 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,207 | 0 |
| February | 988 | 0 |
| March | 788 | 2 |
| April | 439 | 9 |
| May | 178 | 71 |
| June | 24 | 222 |
| July | 1 | 353 |
| August | 3 | 299 |
| September | 59 | 136 |
| October | 332 | 20 |
| November | 689 | 0 |
| December | 1,045 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,753 | 1,111 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014819. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Have recent years at Chicago Midway Airport been warmer than normal?
2025 averaged 53.4°F, 1.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 52.1°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54.1°F | +2.0°F | 27.87 |
| 2022 | 53.3°F | +1.2°F | 30.76 |
| 2023 | 54.4°F | +2.3°F | 35.63 |
| 2024 | 56.2°F | +4.1°F | 37.12 |
| 2025 | 53.4°F | +1.3°F | 31.50 |
Over 115 complete years from 1873 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.1°F per century (+0.11°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00014819; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Chicago Midway Airport's climate compare?
Chicago Midway Airport is warmer than 77 of the 144 places with their own NOAA record in Illinois, and wetter than 3. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.1°F is warmer than 50%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Chicago Midway Airport is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Chicago Midway Airport share this climate record?
19 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Cicero, ILalso near: Burbank (7 mi, 52.4°F a year); Little Red School House (11 mi, 51.4°F a year)82,090 people · 4 mi N
- Berwyn, ILalso near: Burbank (7 mi, 52.4°F a year); Little Red School House (10 mi, 51.4°F a year)55,152 people · 4 mi NW
- Oak Park, ILalso near: Burbank (10 mi, 52.4°F a year); Chicago (11 mi, 51.2°F a year)52,947 people · 7 mi N
- Maywood, IL23,364 people · 8 mi NW
- Brookfield, IL18,885 people · 6 mi NW
- Westchester, IL16,313 people · 8 mi NW
- La Grange, IL15,943 people · 6 mi W
- Forest Park, IL13,846 people · 7 mi NW
- La Grange Park, IL13,459 people · 7 mi NW
- River Forest, IL11,909 people · 8 mi NW
- Summit, IL10,761 people · 3 mi W
- Lyons, IL10,440 people · 4 mi NW
- Riverside, IL8,964 people · 5 mi NW
- Broadview, IL7,867 people · 7 mi NW
- North Riverside, IL7,161 people · 6 mi NW
- Stickney, IL6,902 people · 2 mi NW
- Forest View, IL765 people · 2 mi NW
- Bedford Park, IL585 people · 2 mi SW
- McCook, IL241 people · 5 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Chicago Midway Airport's climate
What is the coldest month at Chicago Midway Airport?
January, with a normal high of 33°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 68°F at night).
Does it snow at Chicago Midway Airport?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Burbank (4 miles away), records 39 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Chicago Midway Airport?
May, with 4.09 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 1.46 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Chicago Midway Airport in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Chicago Midway Airport in zone 6a in ZIP code 60638, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at the station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −6°F (23 years, 1991-2020): zone 6a.
How late can frost come at Chicago Midway Airport?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 11; in one year in ten it comes after April 27. Waiting until April 27 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Illinois climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Burbank, IL4 miles from this station, 52.4°F a year
- Little Red School House, IL8 miles from this station, 51.4°F a year
- Lisle, IL17 miles from this station, 49.2°F a year
- Wheaton, IL17 miles from this station, 51.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made