2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Helena, MT vs Chicago, IL

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Highlights

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

Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Helena, Montana gets 12.6 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. Helena averages 42.1 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

Helena, Montana
Summer High: the July high is around 83.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.8
Rain: averages 12.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 42.1 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

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.

Helena

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Helena is 6.6 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

6.6 / 10

July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Helena, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Month	Helena, MT	Chicago, IL
January	32° / 14°	32° / 19°
February	37° / 17°	37° / 23°
March	46° / 24°	47° / 31°
April	56° / 31°	58° / 41°
May	65° / 39°	69° / 51°
June	74° / 47°	79° / 61°
July	83° / 52°	84° / 68°
August	83° / 51°	82° / 67°
September	71° / 43°	75° / 59°
October	57° / 33°	63° / 47°
November	41° / 23°	49° / 36°
December	32° / 14°	36° / 24°

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

Month	Hot Days	Freezing Days	Rainy Days	Snowy Days
January	0 / 0	29 / 27	6 / 10	5 / 7
February	0 / 0	26 / 23	6 / 8	4 / 5
March	0 / 0	26 / 17	7 / 11	4 / 4
April	0 / 0	16 / 3	8 / 11	2 / 1
May	0 / 1	5 / 0	11 / 12	1 / 0
June	1 / 3	0 / 0	11 / 10	0 / 0
July	7 / 6	0 / 0	8 / 10	0 / 0
August	6 / 4	0 / 0	7 / 10	0 / 0
September	1 / 1	2 / 0	6 / 9	1 / 0
October	0 / 0	13 / 1	6 / 10	1 / 0
November	0 / 0	24 / 10	7 / 11	4 / 2
December	0 / 0	29 / 24	7 / 11	5 / 6

July is the hottest month for Helena with an average high temperature of 83.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Montana. In Helena, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Helena 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.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Helena with an average of 13.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In Helena, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.

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

In Helena, there are 170.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Montana.

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 Helena, there are 16.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.

In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

June is the wettest month in Helena with 2.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 37% of yearly precipitation and 10% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 12.6 inches in Helena means that it is drier than most places in Montana.

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.

May is the rainiest month in Helena with 11.0 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 5.5 rainy days. There are 89.6 rainy days annually in Helena, which is about average compared to other places in Montana. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring 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 42.1 inches in Helena means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

March is the snowiest month in Helena with 7.4 inches of snow, and 9 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 Helena 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 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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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Helena, MT vs Chicago, IL

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Helena with an average of 13.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In Helena, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.

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

In Helena, there are 170.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Montana.

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 Helena, there are 16.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.

In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

An annual snowfall of 42.1 inches in Helena means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

March is the snowiest month in Helena with 7.4 inches of snow, and 9 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?

Reviews for Helena 2 Reviews

Reviews for Chicago 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:Helena, MT vs Chicago, IL

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Helena with an average of 13.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In Helena, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.

In Helena, there are 170.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Montana.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 Helena, there are 16.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

An annual snowfall of 42.1 inches in Helena means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

March is the snowiest month in Helena with 7.4 inches of snow, and 9 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?

Reviews for Helena 2 Reviews

Reviews for Chicago 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Helena, MT vs Chicago, IL

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Helena with an average of 13.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.

In Helena, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.

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

In Helena, there are 170.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Montana.

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 Helena, there are 16.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.

In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.

An annual snowfall of 42.1 inches in Helena means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.

March is the snowiest month in Helena with 7.4 inches of snow, and 9 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.