2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Fairfax, VA vs Chicago, IL
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Highlights
On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Chicago. Fairfax averages 198 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Fairfax, Virginia gets 43 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. Fairfax averages 21.5 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
Fairfax, Virginia
Summer High: the July high is around 85.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23.7
Rain: averages 43 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 21.5 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.
FairfaxThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Fairfax is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Virginia.
7.3 / 10
September, June and May are the most pleasant months in Fairfax, while January and February are the least comfortable months.
Today's Weather - Fairfax, VA
5 AM PST
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
69°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms | 81° / 70° | S 5 to 9 mph |
| Thursday | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 85° / 63° | SW 7 to 10 mph |
| Friday | Mostly Sunny | 80° / 58° | W 5 to 9 mph |
| Saturday | Sunny | 79° / 61° | W 5 to 9 mph |
| Sunday | Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 80° / 59° | W 5 to 9 mph |
| Monday | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 79° / 61° | NW 5 to 8 mph |
| Tuesday | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 78° / 61° | W 6 mph |
Today's Weather - Chicago, IL
5 AM PST
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
71°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 81° / 63° | WSW 10 to 15 mph |
| Thursday | Sunny | 77° / 59° | W 10 to 20 mph |
| Friday | Sunny | 74° / 59° | WNW 15 to 20 mph |
| Saturday | Mostly Sunny | 75° / 58° | W 10 to 15 mph |
| Sunday | Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers | 74° / 58° | NW 10 to 15 mph |
| Monday | Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers | 69° / 56° | N 5 to 10 mph |
| Tuesday | Mostly Sunny | 72° / 59° | NNE 5 to 10 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Fairfax, VA | Chicago, IL |
|---|
| January | 42° / 24° | 32° / 19° |
| February | 46° / 26° | 37° / 23° |
| March | 54° / 33° | 47° / 31° |
| April | 66° / 42° | 58° / 41° |
| May | 74° / 52° | 69° / 51° |
| June | 82° / 61° | 79° / 61° |
| July | 86° / 66° | 84° / 68° |
| August | 84° / 65° | 82° / 67° |
| September | 78° / 57° | 75° / 59° |
| October | 67° / 45° | 63° / 47° |
| November | 57° / 36° | 49° / 36° |
| December | 46° / 27° | 36° / 24° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Fairfax / Chicago
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 25 / 27 | 10 / 10 | 3 / 7 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 22 / 23 | 9 / 8 | 3 / 5 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 16 / 17 | 10 / 11 | 1 / 4 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 4 / 3 | 11 / 11 | 0 / 1 |
| May | 1 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 12 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 3 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 11 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 7 / 6 | 0 / 0 | 11 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 6 / 4 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 2 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 3 / 1 | 8 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 11 / 10 | 9 / 11 | 0 / 2 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 23 / 24 | 10 / 11 | 2 / 6 |
July is the hottest month for Fairfax with an average high temperature of 85.7°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Virginia. In Fairfax, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Fairfax are September, June and May.
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 Fairfax with an average of 23.7°. This is about average compared to other places in Virginia.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chicago with an average of 19.2°. This is warmer than most places in Illinois.
In Fairfax, there are 18.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Virginia.
In Chicago, there are 13.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Illinois.
In Fairfax, there are 102.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in Virginia.
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 Fairfax, there are 0.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Virginia.
In Chicago, there are 4.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Illinois.
May is the wettest month in Fairfax with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.8 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 27% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 43.0 inches in Fairfax means that it is drier than most places in Virginia.
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 Fairfax with 12.2 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 8.2 rainy days. There are 119.2 rainy days annually in Fairfax, which is rainier than most places in Virginia. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 22% 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 21.5 inches in Fairfax means that it is one of the snowiest places in Virginia.
An annual snowfall of 35.1 inches in Chicago means that it is one of the snowiest places in Illinois.
February is the snowiest month in Fairfax with 7.8 inches of snow, and 5 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 Fairfax 
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 Fairfax
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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