How Cold Is It In Chicago?

Weather in the Windy City

No matter how you look at it, Chicago is a great city! Voted the best big city in the United States for seven years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler, Chicago is loaded with things to see and do. Beautiful neighborhoods, striking architecture, art, music, museums, and natural beauty all add up to an amazing place to be, whether you’re visiting or you live here. So, how’s the weather?

Chicago Weather Conditions

The climate of Chicago is categorized as hot-summer humid continental, but what does that mean? Basically, it means the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are cold and sometimes snowy. Chicago is definitely a city of four distinct seasons, and while Chicago’s winter temperatures often fall below freezing, in the summer it can get quite warm and humid. The temperatures are hotter in summer and cooler in winter inland than near the lake, and spring and fall come with relatively sunny skies and temperatures that swing between cool and warm.

There can be a cold climate in Chicago, and in fact, winters can dip below freezing. When they do, the city often sees snow. How cold is it in Chicago? As of 2014, the Weather Channel has ranked Chicago as the sixth-coldest major city in the United States. It doesn’t get as much snow as Cleveland or Buffalo, but you can expect more snowfall in Chicago than you’d find in New Yor City. The average annual snowfall in Chicago is 36 inches, and the temperatures range from an average low of 16.5°F to an average high of 31°F.

Weather Updates for Chicago

If you ever want to know the current Chicago temperature, or you are seeking historical weather data, the National Weather Service has you covered. Their office in Chicago has one of the longest periods of official weather records, dating all the way back to 1870. However, the 1870 and 1871 records taken at 181 West Washington Street were lost in the Great Chicago Fire.

So, Why is it Called the Windy City?

Is Chicago particularly windy? In truth, when Chicago was given the Windy City moniker, the weather was not what was being referenced. A New York newspaper writer was actually making a joke about the bluster of people from Chicago promoting their city as the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The term Windy City stuck, in part because of all the Chicago politicians blowing hot air. That being said, Chicago is actually a little bit windier than the average American city, wit average wind speeds ranging from 8 miles per hour in summer to 12 months per hour in spring.

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Chicago is a great place to live, and if you’re ready to move here, call Midway Moving and Storage. Started by an entrepreneur in his parent’s basement, Midway Moving and Storage has been in operation since 1987, and has grown to become a team of professional movers respected in and around Chicago and beyond. We’re not your typical moving company, and in fact we are the Official Mover of the Chicago Cubs. That’s not the only claim to fame for this premier moving company: we have also been called upon to move voting machines to local polling places, have had a crucial role in local events like a food drive to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and are earned a sterling reputation among high-profile organizations like the Chicago Board of Elections, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago and Cook County Housing Authorities. The assets that set us apart from the competition include professional movers, trained at our Moving Training Center in Chicago on the latest best practices, moving strategies, and packing techniques, ensuring that well-trained, certified, insured moving professionals are used for every job, with no use of subcontractors, students or day laborers. We provide service to residential and commercial customers, handling jobs of all sizes, including local moves and relocations to and from 48 states. You can count on our estimates to be accurate and our service to be dependable and exceed your expectations. For more information or to request a custom quote, call (800) 659-0874 or contact us through our website.