2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Boston, MA

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Highlights

On average, there are 200 sunny days per year in Boston. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Boston, Massachusetts gets 47.4 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.

Boston averages 48.1 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

Boston, Massachusetts
Summer High: the July high is around 82.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 19.2
Rain: averages 47.4 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 48.1 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
Boston

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Boston is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

6.9 / 10
August, June and September are the most pleasant months in Boston, while January and February 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

10 PM PST

Occasional Rain Showers

48°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightOccasional Rain Showers47° / 55°NW 10 mph
Thursday NightPartly Cloudy44° / 57°NNW 5 to 15 mph
Friday NightPartly Cloudy46° / 58°NNE 0 to 10 mph
Saturday NightMostly Cloudy48° / 58°NE 5 to 10 mph
Sunday NightMostly Cloudy48° / 59°NNE 5 to 10 mph
Monday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers50° / 60°NNE 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy51° / 64°N 5 to 10 mph
Today's Weather - Boston, MA

10 PM PST

Cloudy

52°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightCloudy49° / 53°E 10 to 14 mph
Thursday NightHeavy Rain then Rain Showers47° / 52°NE 14 to 21 mph
Friday NightChance Rain Showers49° / 61°W 7 mph
Saturday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy49° / 64°NW 8 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy51° / 70°NW 7 mph
Monday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers55° / 70°SW 6 mph
Tuesday NightChance Rain Showers55° / 66°SE 7 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthChicago, ILBoston, MA
January32° / 19°36° / 19°
February37° / 23°39° / 22°
March47° / 31°46° / 29°
April58° / 41°57° / 38°
May69° / 51°68° / 47°
June79° / 61°77° / 57°
July84° / 68°82° / 63°
August82° / 67°81° / 61°
September75° / 59°73° / 54°
October63° / 47°62° / 42°
November49° / 36°52° / 34°
December36° / 24°41° / 25°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chicago / Boston
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 027 / 2710 / 127 / 7
February0 / 023 / 248 / 105 / 6
March0 / 017 / 1911 / 124 / 5
April0 / 03 / 611 / 121 / 1
May1 / 10 / 112 / 120 / 0
June3 / 20 / 010 / 110 / 0
July6 / 50 / 010 / 100 / 0
August4 / 30 / 010 / 100 / 0
September1 / 10 / 09 / 90 / 0
October0 / 01 / 410 / 100 / 0
November0 / 010 / 1211 / 112 / 1
December0 / 024 / 2411 / 126 / 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 Boston with an average high temperature of 82.4°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Massachusetts. In Boston, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Boston are June, August and July.
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 Boston with an average of 19.2°. This is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

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

In Boston, there are 11.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Massachusetts.

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 Boston, there are 116.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Massachusetts.

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 Boston, there are 1.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

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.


March is the wettest month in Boston with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 3.5 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 26% of yearly precipitation and 24% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 47.4 inches in Boston means that it is drier than most places in Massachusetts.

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 Boston with 12.4 days of rain, and September is the driest month with only 8.9 rainy days. There are 130.0 rainy days annually in Boston, which is rainier than most places in Massachusetts. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 23% 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 48.1 inches in Boston means that it is snowier than most places in Massachusetts.
January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

January is the snowiest month in Boston with 14.2 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 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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Reviews for Boston    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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Zips In Chicago, Illinois
60629, 60618, 60632, 60639, 60623, 60647, 60617, 60625, 60608, 60634, 56 total
Zips In BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
02124, 02128, 02135, 02130, 02127, 02125, 02136, 02131, 02115, 02126, 30 total
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