Lincoln Il Weather Service (2024)

FAQs

Does it snow in Illinois? ›

Precipitation. Average precipitation exceeds 48 inches a year (south), compared to less than 32 inches (north). Snowfall distribution is just the opposite, with averages of 36 inches a year in the north to less than 10 inches in extreme southern Illinois.

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout the year, the temperature in Chicago city varies between a low of 19°F and a high of 84°F. The city also experiences an annual precipitation of 40 inches and a snowfall of 37 inches.

The U.S. Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) began measuring and recording snowfall in Chicago 130 years ago — in 1884. In the entire period of the city's official snowfall data since then, not one flake of snow has ever been observed here during July.

There has been only one instance of snow in June, a trace that fell on June 2, 1910. Snow has never been observed in Chicago in July and August, with the earliest start to the fall snow season being traces that fell on Sept. 25 in 1928 and 1942.

What is the best time to visit Illinois? Best time to visit Illinois is from April to May and between September and October.

The highest temperature reported in Illinois was 117°F in East St. Louis on July 14, 1954. The lowest temperature reported in Illinois was -36°F in Congerville on January 5, 1999.

ILLINOIS— Winter temperatures in Illinois have warmed by more than a half-degree per decade since 1980, according to a new analysis looking at how climate change has contributed to warmer winters in most of the country.

Although the first measurable snowfall comes later than usual in some years, it definitely does snow in Chicago. If you're visiting in the winter, take a moment to brush up on when it will snow in Chicago and how much snow will fall each month.

However, it is northeast Illinois, including the Chicago area, with an average of 40-plus inches a year that holds the honor of being the snowiest part of Illinois. A closer check of Chicago area climate records pinpoints Antioch, with an annual average snowfall of more than 45 inches, as the area's highest.

The Chicago blizzard of 1967 struck northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana on January 26–27, 1967, with a record-setting 23 inches (58 cm) snow fall in Chicago and its suburbs before the storm abated the next morning. As of 2024, it remains the greatest snowfall in one storm in Chicago history.

Does Illinois get tornadoes? ›

In a typical year, Illinois averages 50 tornadoes. Last year there were 50 tornadoes reported, resulting in 3 fatalities, 17 injuries, and more than $12 Million damage. When a tornado threatens, you may only have seconds to save yourself, and your family.