Chicago vs New York: Weather & Climate Compared
🇺🇸 Chicago, United States · 🇺🇸 New York, United States
Warmer overall
New York
Sunnier
New York
More rainy days
Chicago
Chicago vs New York weather right now
At this moment, New York is the warmer of the two by 2°F (1°C).
The short answer
Across the year, New York is the warmer of the two: its annual average of 54°F (12°C) beats Chicago's 51°F (10°C) by roughly 3.4°F (1.9°C).
Head to head
- Sunshine: New York collects 8.6 hours of daily sun across the year; Chicago manages 8.5.
- Rain: the rain gauge favors New York: 128 wet days a year to Chicago's 132.
- Snow: only Chicago sees regular snowfall - roughly 18 days of it annually.
- Peak heat: the hottest stretch lands in July for Chicago (80°F (27°C)) and July for New York (85°F (30°C)).
- Coldest nights: winter bottoms out at 20°F (-6°C) in Chicago (January) and 26°F (-3°C) in New York (January).
Chicago vs New York month by month
| Month | Chicago high / low | New York high / low | Chicago rain days | New York rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° / 20° | 40° / 26° | 10 | 10 |
| February | 36° / 20° | 43° / 26° | 9 | 10 |
| March | 45° / 31° | 49° / 33° | 11 | 10 |
| April | 54° / 39° | 60° / 42° | 14 | 12 |
| May | 66° / 50° | 70° / 53° | 13 | 12 |
| June | 77° / 61° | 79° / 62° | 12 | 11 |
| July | 80° / 67° | 85° / 69° | 12 | 13 |
| August | 80° / 66° | 83° / 68° | 12 | 12 |
| September | 75° / 62° | 77° / 62° | 10 | 10 |
| October | 62° / 49° | 66° / 51° | 12 | 9 |
| November | 48° / 36° | 54° / 39° | 8 | 9 |
| December | 39° / 28° | 45° / 32° | 9 | 11 |
Who's warmer, month by month?
There is no seasonal flip here: New York holds the temperature lead in all twelve months of the year. The gap is widest in January, when New York's afternoons run about 8°F (4°C) ahead, and narrowest in September, when the two nearly meet.
Sunshine, daylight and rain chance
| Month | Chicago sun | New York sun | Chicago daylight | New York daylight | Chicago wet-day chance | New York wet-day chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.9 h | 6.1 h | 9.5 h | 9.6 h | 34% | 32% |
| February | 6.8 h | 6.9 h | 10.5 h | 10.6 h | 32% | 34% |
| March | 7.9 h | 8.2 h | 11.8 h | 11.8 h | 36% | 33% |
| April | 8.8 h | 8.8 h | 13.3 h | 13.2 h | 47% | 40% |
| May | 10.1 h | 9.9 h | 14.5 h | 14.4 h | 41% | 37% |
| June | 11.6 h | 11.1 h | 15.2 h | 15.1 h | 40% | 35% |
| July | 11.8 h | 11.6 h | 14.9 h | 14.8 h | 39% | 43% |
| August | 11.5 h | 10.9 h | 13.8 h | 13.8 h | 38% | 40% |
| September | 9.6 h | 9.1 h | 12.4 h | 12.4 h | 33% | 32% |
| October | 7.5 h | 7.8 h | 11.0 h | 11.0 h | 38% | 29% |
| November | 6.0 h | 7.1 h | 9.8 h | 9.8 h | 26% | 29% |
| December | 5.0 h | 5.6 h | 9.1 h | 9.3 h | 28% | 35% |
Seasons compared
| Months | Chicago high / low | New York high / low | Chicago rain days | New York rain days | Chicago sun | New York sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December - February | 36° / 23° | 42° / 28° | 28 | 30 | 5.6 h | 6.2 h |
| March - May | 55° / 40° | 60° / 43° | 38 | 34 | 8.9 h | 9.0 h |
| June - August | 79° / 65° | 82° / 67° | 36 | 36 | 11.6 h | 11.2 h |
| September - November | 62° / 49° | 66° / 51° | 30 | 27 | 7.7 h | 8.0 h |
Best months for sightseeing
Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:
- Chicago: August, September (2 months)
- New York: May, June, September, October (4 months)
Both cities are at their most comfortable in September, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.
Records, distance and time difference
- Chicago records (2015-2024): high of 99° in June, low of -26° in January.
- New York records (2015-2024): high of 100° in August, low of -5° in January.
- Distance: Chicago and New York are about 712 miles (1,146 km) apart as the crow flies.
- Time difference: New York is 1 hour ahead of Chicago right now.
Chicago vs New York: quick answers
Is Chicago warmer than New York?
No - New York is warmer on annual average by about 3.4°F (1.9°C). The month-by-month table shows where the gap widens.
Which city is sunnier, Chicago or New York?
New York takes it: 8.6 sun hours a day averaged across the year, versus 8.5 for Chicago.
Which city gets more rain?
Chicago is the wetter city, logging about 132 rain days annually to New York's 128.
Dig deeper
More comparisons with New York