2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Grand Rapids, MI vs Chicago, IL
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Highlights
On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Chicago. Grand Rapids averages 158 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Grand Rapids, Michigan gets 37.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.
Chicago averages 35.1 inches of snow per year. Grand Rapids averages 64.2 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.
Weather Highlights
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
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Summer High: the July high is around 82.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 17.6
Rain: averages 37.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 64.2 inches of snow a year
BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
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.
Grand RapidsThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Grand Rapids is 6.7 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Michigan.
6.7 / 10
August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Grand Rapids, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
Today's Weather - Grand Rapids, MI
4 PM PST
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
76°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Tonight | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 58° / 72° | SE 9 mph |
| Monday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 46° / 66° | WSW 7 to 16 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Partly Cloudy | 50° / 75° | SSW 2 to 10 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 55° / 81° | E 6 to 12 mph |
| Thursday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 62° / 72° | S 15 mph |
| Friday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 52° / 66° | SW 12 to 16 mph |
| Saturday Night | Chance Rain Showers | 48° / 64° | SW 13 to 16 mph |
Today's Weather - Chicago, IL
4 PM PST
Showers And Thunderstorms
73°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Tonight | Showers And Thunderstorms | 61° / 72° | SSW 10 to 15 mph |
| Monday Night | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy | 51° / 70° | W 5 to 15 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Partly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 57° / 75° | SSE 5 to 10 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 57° / 81° | ESE 10 mph |
| Thursday Night | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 60° / 72° | SSW 15 mph |
| Friday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 52° / 68° | WSW 10 to 15 mph |
| Saturday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 51° / 67° | SW 15 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Grand Rapids, MI | Chicago, IL |
|---|
| January | 31° / 18° | 32° / 19° |
| February | 34° / 19° | 37° / 23° |
| March | 44° / 26° | 47° / 31° |
| April | 58° / 37° | 58° / 41° |
| May | 69° / 47° | 69° / 51° |
| June | 79° / 57° | 79° / 61° |
| July | 82° / 61° | 84° / 68° |
| August | 80° / 60° | 82° / 67° |
| September | 73° / 52° | 75° / 59° |
| October | 61° / 41° | 63° / 47° |
| November | 47° / 32° | 49° / 36° |
| December | 35° / 23° | 36° / 24° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Grand Rapids / Chicago
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 28 / 27 | 13 / 10 | 11 / 7 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 25 / 23 | 10 / 8 | 8 / 5 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 23 / 17 | 10 / 11 | 5 / 4 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 10 / 3 | 12 / 11 | 1 / 1 |
| May | 0 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 10 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 2 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 3 / 6 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 2 / 4 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 5 / 1 | 11 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 15 / 10 | 12 / 11 | 3 / 2 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 26 / 24 | 14 / 11 | 10 / 6 |
July is the hottest month for Grand Rapids with an average high temperature of 82.2°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Michigan. In Grand Rapids, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Grand Rapids are June, August and July.
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.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Grand Rapids with an average of 17.6°. This is warmer than most places in Michigan.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.
In Grand Rapids, there are 6.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Michigan.
In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.
In Grand Rapids, there are 133.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Michigan.
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 Grand Rapids, there are 4.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Michigan.
In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.
September is the wettest month in Grand Rapids with 4.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.9 inches. The wettest season is Winter with 29% of yearly precipitation and 18% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 37.3 inches in Grand Rapids means that it is one of the wettest places in Michigan.
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.
December is the rainiest month in Grand Rapids with 13.5 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 9.0 rainy days. There are 129.1 rainy days annually in Grand Rapids, which is about average compared to other places in Michigan. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.
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.
An annual snowfall of 64.2 inches in Grand Rapids means that it is snowier than most places in Michigan.
An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.
January is the snowiest month in Grand Rapids with 18.6 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
January is the snowiest month in Chicago with 11.0 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 Grand Rapids 
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 Grand Rapids
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
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