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

Highlights

On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Chicago. Milwaukee averages 191 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Chicago, Illinois gets 38.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Milwaukee, Wisconsin gets 34.8 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. Milwaukee averages 44.6 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

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Summer High: the July high is around 82.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.8
Rain: averages 34.8 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 44.6 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Chicago is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Illinois.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Milwaukee is 6.8 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Wisconsin.

Today's Weather - Milwaukee, WI

69°F

Today's Weather - Chicago, IL

69°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

July is the hottest month for Milwaukee with an average high temperature of 82.7°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Wisconsin. In Milwaukee, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Milwaukee are June, August and September.

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 Milwaukee with an average of 13.8°. This is one of the warmest places in Wisconsin.

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

In Milwaukee, there are 11.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest 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 Milwaukee, there are 135.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest 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 Milwaukee, there are 9.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest 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.

June is the wettest month in Milwaukee with 4.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 34% of yearly precipitation and 15% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 34.8 inches in Milwaukee means that it is wetter 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.

May is the rainiest month in Milwaukee with 12.0 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 9.0 rainy days. There are 123.3 rainy days annually in Milwaukee, which is one of the rainiest places in Wisconsin. 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 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 44.6 inches in Milwaukee means that it is snowier than most places in Wisconsin.

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 Milwaukee with 13.2 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.