2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Boulder, CO

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Highlights

On average, there are 245 sunny days per year in Boulder. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Boulder, Colorado gets 18.1 inches of rain, on average, per year. Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Boulder averages 71.1 inches of snow per year. Chicago averages 35.1 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Boulder, Colorado
Summer High: the July high is around 88.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 18.9
Rain: averages 18.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 71.1 inches of snow a year

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

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Boulder

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Boulder is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

7.1 / 10
September, June and August are the most pleasant months in Boulder, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

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.

Today's Weather - Chicago, IL

1 PM PST

Mostly Sunny

49°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonMostly Sunny50° / 43°NNE 15 mph
SundayChance Rain Showers52° / 46°NNE 10 to 15 mph
MondayRain Showers Likely57° / 46°NNE 10 mph
TuesdayMostly Sunny61° / 51°NNE 5 mph
WednesdayPartly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers63° / 47°NNW 5 to 15 mph
ThursdayMostly Sunny57° / 45°NNE 10 to 15 mph
FridaySunny60° / 48°NNE 5 to 10 mph
Today's Weather - Boulder, CO

1 PM PST

Sunny

74°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonSunny75° / 46°E 8 mph
SundayMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms74° / 45°ENE 2 to 13 mph
MondayShowers And Thunderstorms62° / 43°ENE 1 to 8 mph
TuesdayRain Showers50° / 39°NNE 2 to 8 mph
WednesdayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely58° / 41°NE 1 to 5 mph
ThursdayMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms68° / 45°N 3 mph
FridayMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms72° / 47°N 5 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthChicago, ILBoulder, CO
January32° / 19°47° / 19°
February37° / 23°48° / 20°
March47° / 31°55° / 27°
April58° / 41°62° / 34°
May69° / 51°72° / 43°
June79° / 61°82° / 51°
July84° / 68°88° / 57°
August82° / 67°86° / 55°
September75° / 59°78° / 46°
October63° / 47°66° / 36°
November49° / 36°54° / 26°
December36° / 24°45° / 18°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chicago / Boulder
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 027 / 2810 / 57 / 5
February0 / 023 / 258 / 55 / 5
March0 / 017 / 2311 / 74 / 6
April0 / 03 / 1311 / 91 / 4
May1 / 10 / 212 / 110 / 1
June3 / 60 / 010 / 90 / 0
July6 / 140 / 010 / 90 / 0
August4 / 90 / 010 / 100 / 0
September1 / 30 / 19 / 70 / 0
October0 / 01 / 1010 / 60 / 2
November0 / 010 / 2211 / 52 / 4
December0 / 024 / 2811 / 56 / 5
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.

July is the hottest month for Boulder with an average high temperature of 88.1°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Colorado. In Boulder, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Boulder are September, June and May.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Boulder with an average of 18.3°. This is one of the warmest places in Colorado.

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

In Boulder, there are 32.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

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 Boulder, there are 151.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Colorado.

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

In Boulder, there are 5.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Colorado.

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.


May is the wettest month in Boulder with 2.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 37% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.1 inches in Boulder means that it is wetter than most places in Colorado.

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.

May is the rainiest month in Boulder with 10.5 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.7 rainy days. There are 88.0 rainy days annually in Boulder, which is rainier than most places in Colorado. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% chance of a rainy day.

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

An annual snowfall of 71.1 inches in Boulder means that it is snowier than most places in Colorado.
January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Boulder with 14.3 inches of snow, and 9 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 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

Start Your Review of Chicago

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Reviews for Boulder    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

Start Your Review of Boulder

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Zips In Chicago, Illinois
60629, 60618, 60632, 60639, 60623, 60647, 60617, 60625, 60608, 60634, 56 total
Zips In BOULDER, COLORADO
80302, 80304, 80301, 80303, 80305, 80310
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