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2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Columbus, OH

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Highlights

On average, there are 178 sunny days per year in Columbus. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Columbus, Ohio gets 39.7 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.

Columbus averages 22.4 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

Columbus, Ohio
Summer High:
the July high is around 85.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 21
Rain: averages 39.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 22.4 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
Columbus

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Columbus is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Ohio.

7.1 / 10
September, June and August are the most pleasant months in Columbus, 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

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

63°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightChance Showers And Thunderstorms61° / 74°SSW 10 to 20 mph
Wednesday NightPartly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms51° / 71°N 5 to 10 mph
Thursday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms60° / 69°S 10 mph
Friday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy51° / 69°NNE 10 mph
Saturday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers52° / 66°N 10 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms54° / 72°E 10 mph
Monday NightShowers And Thunderstorms Likely60° / 78°S 15 mph

Today's Weather - Columbus, OH

10 PM PST

Mostly Clear

57°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightMostly Clear51° / 82°SW 3 mph
Wednesday NightPartly Cloudy56° / 84°NW 5 to 13 mph
Thursday NightPartly Cloudy62° / 82°SE 5 to 8 mph
Friday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms62° / 79°SE 8 to 12 mph
Saturday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms60° / 80°SW 7 to 12 mph
Sunday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms59° / 79°N 9 mph
Monday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms63° / 82°S 10 mph

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthChicago, ILColumbus, OH
January32° / 19°37° / 21°
February37° / 23°41° / 23°
March47° / 31°51° / 31°
April58° / 41°64° / 41°
May69° / 51°74° / 51°
June79° / 61°82° / 60°
July84° / 68°85° / 64°
August82° / 67°84° / 63°
September75° / 59°78° / 55°
October63° / 47°66° / 43°
November49° / 36°53° / 35°
December36° / 24°40° / 25°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chicago / Columbus
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 027 / 2510 / 137 / 6
February0 / 023 / 238 / 105 / 4
March0 / 017 / 1711 / 124 / 3
April0 / 03 / 511 / 131 / 1
May1 / 00 / 012 / 130 / 0
June3 / 30 / 010 / 110 / 0
July6 / 60 / 010 / 100 / 0
August4 / 50 / 010 / 90 / 0
September1 / 20 / 09 / 80 / 0
October0 / 01 / 310 / 90 / 0
November0 / 010 / 1311 / 112 / 1
December0 / 024 / 2311 / 126 / 4
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 Columbus with an average high temperature of 85.3°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Ohio. In Columbus, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Columbus 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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Columbus with an average of 21.0°. This is warmer than most places in Ohio.



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

In Columbus, there are 16.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Ohio.



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 Columbus, there are 109.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Ohio.



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 Columbus, there are 3.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Ohio.



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.


July is the wettest month in Columbus with 4.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 30% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 39.7 inches in Columbus means that it is about average compared to other places in Ohio.


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 Columbus with 13.2 days of rain, and September is the driest month with only 8.1 rainy days. There are 130.0 rainy days annually in Columbus, which is about average compared to other places in Ohio. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 22% 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 22.4 inches in Columbus means that it is about average compared to other places in Ohio.



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 Columbus with 8.9 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

Over 15 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

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Over 15 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

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Reviews for Columbus    2 Reviews

Over 15 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

Over 15 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 COLUMBUS, OHIO
43228, 43229, 43207, 43232, 43224, 43204, 43235, 43110, 43201, 43219, 31 total

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