2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Ames, IA

Highlights

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Ames. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Ames, Iowa gets 35.7 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.

Ames averages 29.6 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

Ames, Iowa
Summer High: the July high is around 84.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 10.7
Rain: averages 35.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 29.6 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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Ames is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.

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

Today's Weather - Chicago, IL

45°F

Today's Weather - Ames, IA

51°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chicago / Ames

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 Ames with an average high temperature of 84.1°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Iowa. In Ames, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Ames are September, June and August.

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

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

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

In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.

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 Ames, there are 145.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

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 Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

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.


June is the wettest month in Ames with 5.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.8 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 41% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 35.7 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

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 Ames with 12.6 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 6.4 rainy days. There are 108.7 rainy days annually in Ames, which is one of the rainiest places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 18% 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 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

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

December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.