2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chicago, IL vs Madison, WI

Highlights

On average, there are 187 sunny days per year in Madison. Chicago averages 189 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Madison, Wisconsin gets 36.1 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.

Madison averages 42.4 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

Madison, Wisconsin
Summer High: the July high is around 81.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 10.2
Rain: averages 36.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 42.4 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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Madison is 6.7 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Wisconsin.

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

60°F

Today's Weather - Madison, WI

59°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

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 Madison with an average high temperature of 81.9°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Wisconsin. In Madison, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Madison 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 Madison with an average of 10.2°. This is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.

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

In Madison, there are 6.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Wisconsin.

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 Madison, there are 149.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.

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 Madison, there are 17.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.

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 Madison with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 36% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 36.1 inches in Madison means that it is one of the wettest places in Wisconsin.

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 Madison with 11.8 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 7.5 rainy days. There are 114.9 rainy days annually in Madison, which is rainier than most places in Wisconsin. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Spring 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 42.4 inches in Madison means that it is about average compared to other places in Wisconsin.

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 Madison with 11.3 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.