2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Charleston, SC
Change Cities
Highlights
On average, there are 209 sunny days per year in Charleston. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Charleston, South Carolina gets 48.3 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.
Charleston averages 0.4 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
Charleston, South Carolina
Summer High: the July high is around 89.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 39.3
Rain: averages 48.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0.4 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
CharlestonThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Charleston is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in South Carolina.
7.2 / 10
October, April and May are the most pleasant months in Charleston, while July and August are the least comfortable months.
ChicagoThe 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
3 AM PST
Mostly Cloudy
56°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Mostly Cloudy | 56° / 71° | WNW 5 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 54° / 65° | N 5 to 10 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Clear | 51° / 65° | N 5 to 15 mph |
| Thursday Night | Mostly Clear | 52° / 72° | E 5 mph |
| Friday Night | Chance Rain Showers | 58° / 74° | SE 5 mph |
| Saturday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 62° / 77° | SSE 5 to 10 mph |
| Sunday Night | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 65° / 83° | SSE 5 mph |
Today's Weather - Charleston, SC
3 AM PST
Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Sunny
72°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Sunny | 89° / 68° | W 7 to 10 mph |
| Wednesday | Sunny | 87° / 67° | NW 5 to 8 mph |
| Thursday | Mostly Sunny | 86° / 67° | NW 6 mph |
| Friday | Sunny | 84° / 65° | NE 5 to 8 mph |
| Saturday | Mostly Sunny | 82° / 67° | E 6 to 10 mph |
| Sunday | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 83° / 68° | SE 6 to 10 mph |
| Monday | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 84° / 69° | S 5 to 9 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Chicago, IL | Charleston, SC |
|---|
| January | 32° / 19° | 58° / 39° |
| February | 37° / 23° | 61° / 42° |
| March | 47° / 31° | 67° / 48° |
| April | 58° / 41° | 74° / 56° |
| May | 69° / 51° | 81° / 64° |
| June | 79° / 61° | 87° / 72° |
| July | 84° / 68° | 90° / 75° |
| August | 82° / 67° | 89° / 74° |
| September | 75° / 59° | 84° / 69° |
| October | 63° / 47° | 77° / 59° |
| November | 49° / 36° | 69° / 50° |
| December | 36° / 24° | 61° / 42° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chicago / Charleston
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 27 / 7 | 10 / 10 | 7 / 0 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 23 / 4 | 8 / 8 | 5 / 0 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 17 / 1 | 11 / 8 | 4 / 0 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 3 / 0 | 11 / 7 | 1 / 0 |
| May | 1 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 12 / 7 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 3 / 9 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 6 / 15 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 4 / 12 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 1 / 4 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 1 / 0 | 10 / 7 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 10 / 1 | 11 / 7 | 2 / 0 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 24 / 5 | 11 / 9 | 6 / 0 |
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 Charleston with an average high temperature of 89.9°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in South Carolina. In Charleston, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Charleston are October, May and April.
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 Charleston with an average of 39.3°. This is one of the warmest places in South Carolina.
In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.
In Charleston, there are 41.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in South Carolina.
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 Charleston, there are 17.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in South Carolina.
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 Charleston, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in South Carolina.
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.
August is the wettest month in Charleston with 6.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is May with 2.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 36% of yearly precipitation and 19% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 48.3 inches in Charleston means that it is wetter than most places in South Carolina.
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.
August is the rainiest month in Charleston with 11.7 days of rain, and May is the driest month with only 6.8 rainy days. There are 105.9 rainy days annually in Charleston, which is rainier than most places in South Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 21% 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 0.4 inches in Charleston means that it is less snowy than most places in South Carolina.
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 Charleston with 0.2 inches of snow, and no 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
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
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
Start Your Review of Chicago
Reviews for Charleston 2 Reviews
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
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
Start Your Review of Charleston
Most Recent Searches On Compare Climate & Weather
| Compare City | Compared To This City | |
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | Cloudcroft, New Mexico | Compare |
| Sacramento, California | Medina, Ohio | Compare |
| Phoenix, Arizona | Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan | Compare |
| Bradenton, Florida | Fort Pierce North, Florida | Compare |
| Prescott, Arizona | Brooksville, Kentucky | Compare |
| Glen Alpine, North Carolina | Hickory, North Carolina | Compare |
| Mcallen, Texas | Brownsville, Texas | Compare |
| Fenwick Island, Delaware | Marco Island, Florida | Compare |
| Warrenton, Virginia | Green Bay, Wisconsin | Compare |
| Mcallen, Texas | Brownsville, Texas | Compare |
| Sammamish, Washington | Portland, Oregon | Compare |
| Rockwall, Texas | Sequim, Washington | Compare |
| Solon, Ohio | Dunkirk, New York | Compare |
| Plano, Texas | Los Angeles, California | Compare |
| Shavertown, Pennsylvania | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Compare |
| Kalispell, Montana | Pittsfield, New Hampshire | Compare |
| Bozeman, Montana | Belgrade, Montana | Compare |
| Greensboro, North Carolina | Cincinnati, Ohio | Compare |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | Compare |
| Gaffney, South Carolina | Bridgeport, Alabama | Compare |