2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL

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Highlights

On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Chicago. San Francisco averages 259 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. San Francisco, California gets 24.6 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Chicago averages 35.1 inches of snow per year. San Francisco averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Chicago, Illinois
Summer High: the July high is around 83.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 19.2
Rain: averages 38.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 35.1 inches of snow a year

San Francisco, California
Summer High: the July high is around 67.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.5
Rain: averages 24.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Chicago

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Chicago is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Illinois.

7 / 10

September, June and August are the most pleasant months in Chicago, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

San Francisco

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for San Francisco is 8.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

8.5 / 10

September, August and October are the most pleasant months in San Francisco, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Month	San Francisco, CA	Chicago, IL
January	58° / 46°	32° / 19°
February	60° / 47°	37° / 23°
March	62° / 49°	47° / 31°
April	63° / 50°	58° / 41°
May	65° / 52°	69° / 51°
June	67° / 54°	79° / 61°
July	67° / 55°	84° / 68°
August	69° / 56°	82° / 67°
September	70° / 56°	75° / 59°
October	69° / 54°	63° / 47°
November	64° / 50°	49° / 36°
December	58° / 46°	36° / 24°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: San Francisco / Chicago

Month	Hot Days	Freezing Days	Rainy Days	Snowy Days
January	0 / 0	0 / 27	12 / 10	0 / 7
February	0 / 0	0 / 23	11 / 8	0 / 5
March	0 / 0	0 / 17	11 / 11	0 / 4
April	0 / 0	0 / 3	6 / 11	0 / 1
May	0 / 1	0 / 0	4 / 12	0 / 0
June	0 / 3	0 / 0	2 / 10	0 / 0
July	0 / 6	0 / 0	1 / 10	0 / 0
August	0 / 4	0 / 0	1 / 10	0 / 0
September	1 / 1	0 / 0	2 / 9	0 / 0
October	0 / 0	0 / 1	4 / 10	0 / 0
November	0 / 0	0 / 10	9 / 11	0 / 2
December	0 / 0	0 / 24	12 / 11	0 / 6

September is the hottest month for San Francisco with an average high temperature of 69.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In San Francisco, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for San Francisco are September, October and August.

July is the hottest month for Chicago with an average high temperature of 83.9°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Illinois. In Chicago, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Chicago are June, September and August.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 103.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

January is the wettest month in San Francisco with 4.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 57% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 24.6 inches in San Francisco means that it is wetter than most places in California.

August is the wettest month in Chicago with 4.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 2.0 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 31% of yearly precipitation and 17% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 38.2 inches in Chicago means that it is drier than most places in Illinois.

December is the rainiest month in San Francisco with 11.7 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.6 rainy days. There are 72.3 rainy days annually in San Francisco, which is rainier than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 48% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in Chicago with 11.5 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 8.4 rainy days. There are 124.8 rainy days annually in Chicago, which is one of the rainiest places in Illinois. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 24% chance of a rainy day.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in San Francisco, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Francisco.

January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.

Reviews for San Francisco 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't More

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More

| Reply

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Reviews for Chicago 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't More

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More

| Reply

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: San Francisco / Chicago

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 103.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in San Francisco, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Francisco.

January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

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Reviews for Chicago 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: San Francisco / Chicago

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest places in California.January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.In Chicago, there are 103.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in San Francisco, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Francisco.January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reviews for San Francisco 2 Reviews

Reviews for Chicago 2 Reviews

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Zips In San Francisco, California

Zips In CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Learn More About SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Learn More About Chicago, Illinois

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About BestPlaces

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.

In San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.

In Chicago, there are 103.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in San Francisco, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Francisco.

January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.