Chicago’s Temperature Records
 
Chicago’s 100's
Daily high temperatures of 100 degrees or greater recorded in Chicago-from earliest to most recent.

 

Date

Temperature

July 16, 1887

100

July 17, 1887

100

July 10, 1901

102

July 21, 1901

103

*July 3, 1911

100

*July 4, 1911

102

*July 5, 1911

102

July 27, 1916

100

July 30, 1916

102

August 5, 1918

102

August 6, 1918

101

August 12, 1918

101

July 19, 1930

101

June 7, 1933

100

June 27, 1933

100

June 1, 1934

102

July 22, 1934

101

July 24, 1934

105

August 8, 1934

100

July 10, 1936

102

September 7, 1939

100

July 24, 1940

101

July 25, 1940

101

July 17, 1942

100

June 27, 1944

100

July 18, 1946

100

*August 4, 1947

100

*August 5, 1947

100

*August 6, 1947

101

August 24, 1947

100

July 3, 1949

102

June 28, 1952

101

June 19, 1953

102

June 20, 1953

104

September 1, 1953

101

September 2, 1953

101

June 25, 1954

100

July 27, 1955

100

July 1, 1956

103

September 7, 1960

100

June 27, 1971

101

June 28, 1971

101

July 10, 1976

100

 July 7, 1980

102

July 20, 1980

101

July 22, 1983

100

July 28, 1983

100

**June 20, 1988

104

**June 21, 1988

101

**June 25, 1988

103

**July 14, 1988

100

**July 15, 1988

102

**August 1, 1988

100

**August 2, 1988

100

July 10, 1989

101

July 22, 1991

101

August 2, 1991

101

July 13, 1995

104

July 14, 1995

100

July 30, 1999

101

July 24, 2005

102

* Greatest number of consecutive 100 degree days (3)

**Greatest number of 100 degree days in one year (7)
 
Number of Days of 100 degrees or More by Decade

1872-1879

0

1880-1889

2

1890-1899

0

1900-1909

2

1910-1919

8

1920-1929

0

1930-1939

9

1940-1949

10

1950-1959

8

1960-1969

1

1970-1979

3

1980-1989

12

1990-1999 

5

2000-2008

1

 

Greatest Consecutive Number of Days in Each

Year with Maximum Temperature 90 Degrees or Higher

 

1871…0

1872…4

1873…2 

1874...3

1875…0

1876…4

1877…1

1878…2

1879…3

1880…4

1881…3

1882…1

1883…3

1884…1

1885…2

1886…1

1887…3

1888…2

1889…2

1890…3

1891…3

1892…5

1893…3

1894…3

1895…4

1896…4

1897…3

1898…5

1899…1

1900…8

1901…2

1902…1

1903…5

1904…3

1905…3

1906…3

1907…1

1908…3

1909…2

1910…3

1911…6

1912…2

1913…3

1914…3

1915…1

1916…5

1917…4

1918…4

1919…3

1920…5

1921…5

1922…4

1923…8

1924…1

1925…3

1926…3

1927…4

1928…2

1929…2

1930…5

1931…6

1932…5

1933…3

1934…8

1935…2

1936…5

1937…2

1938…2

1939…4

1940…7

1941…3

1942…3

1943…4

1944…7

1945…3

1946…3

1947…8

1948…8

1949…6

1950…2

1951…2

1952…5

1953…11

1954…11

1955…11

1956…5

1957…3

1958…2

1959…11

1960…5

1961…3

1962…6

1963…3

1964…7

1965…2

1966…4

1967…2

1968…5

1969…5

1970…7

1971…4

1972…4

1973…10

1974…3

1975…4

1976…3

1977…9

1978…6

1979…1

1980…9

1981…2

1982…2

1983…9

1984…4

1985…4

1986…5

1987…10

1988…9

1989…2

1990…2

1991…5

1992…2

1993…3

1994…6

1995…5

1996…3

1997…5

1998…3

1999…5

2000…3

2001…5

2002…5

2003…2

2004…1

2005…8

2006…6

2007…4

 2008...3

 

Greatest Consecutive Number of Days with 

Maximum Temperature 90 Degrees or Higher

11 days:

10 days:

August 24-September 3, 1953

August 25-September 3, 1973

June 11-21, 1954

July 17-26, 1987

July 26-August 5, 1955

 

August 19-29, 1959

 

   

Greatest Number of Days with Maximum

Temperature 90 Degrees or Higher in any Year*

 

1)      47 (1988)

6) 35 (1964 and 1971)

2)      46 (1955)

7) 34 (1944)

3)      39 (1959)

8) 33 (1977 and 1987)

4)      38 (1952)

9) 32 (1934)

5)      36 (1954)

 

*The normal amount of days where the maximum temperature reaches at least 90 degrees:

O’Hare…18
Midway…21
Northerly Island…10
 

Greatest Number of Days with Maximum 

Temperature 90 Degrees or Higher by Month

2 (April 1930) 18 (August 1947)
10 (May 1977)  8 (September 1959 and 1971)
16 (June 1954) 2 (October 1971)
19 (July 1955 and 1987)  

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Least Number of Days with Maximum

Temperature 90 Degrees or Higher in any Year

 
0 (1871 and 1875)  3 (2004 and 1902)
1 (1882 and 1915) 4 (1904, 1907, 1917, 1967, and 2000)
2 (1889 and 1979)  5 (1909)
                                                     
                                                      
                                                     

Lowest Temperatures Recorded

in Chicago (-16 Degrees and Lower)

 

-16

January 2, 1879 

-19

January 16, 1977

 

January 15, 1893

 

January 14, 1979

 

January 26, 1897

 

January 9, 1982

 

January 7, 1912

 

January 19, 1994

 

January 18, 1930

 

 

 

January 29, 1966

-20

January 9, 1875

 

January 16, 1994

 

January 25, 1879

 

 

 

January 20, 1984

-17

February 8, 1899

 

 

 

February 12, 1899

-21

December 22, 1872

 

January 22, 1936

 

February 9, 1899

 

February 5, 1979

 

December 23, 1983

 

December 25, 1983

 

January 18, 1994

 

January 15, 1994

 

 

 

 

-22

January 21, 1984

-18

December 23, 1872

 

 

 

February 23, 1873

-23

December 24, 1872

 

January 3, 1876

 

January 17, 1982

 

January 5, 1884

 

 

 

February 10, 1899

-25

January 16, 1982

 

February 13, 1905

 

December 24, 1983

 

January 23, 1963

 

 

 

December 22, 1983

-26

January 10, 1982

-27       January 20, 1985*      (wind chill reached –60 with sustained winds around 25 mph)
 

 

Lowest Daily Mean Temperatures Recorded

in Chicago (-10 Degrees and Lower)

-10 January 4, 1884 -13 January 16, 1977
  January 15, 1893    
  January 26, 1897 -14 February 9, 1899
  February 10, 1899   December 23, 1983
  January 20, 1984    
    -15 January 25, 1879
-11 January 5, 1885   January 10, 1982
  February 8, 1888    
  February 13, 1905 -16 January 20, 1985
  January 23, 1963   January 18, 1994
  December 25, 1983    
  January 15, 1994 -18 December 24, 1983
  February 2, 1996    
       
-12 February 9, 1933    
  February 3, 1996    

     

Greatest Consecutive Number of Days in Each

Year with Minimum Temperature Zero Degrees or Lower

1872…4

1873…5

1874....2

1875…8

1876…3

1877…2

1878…2

1879…5

1880…5

1881…1

1882…2

1883…6

1884…5

1885…6

1886…3 

1887…3 

1888…6 

1889…3

1890…2 

1891…2

1892…3

1893…5

1894…2 

1895…4

1896…3

1897…3

1898…3 

1899…7

1900…5

1901…4

1902…4

1903…4

1904…3

1905…5 

1906…0

1907…3

1908…1

1909…2

1910…2 

1911…1

1912…10

1913…1

1914…2

1915…3

1916…3

1917…5 

1918…3

1919…3

1920…2

1921…0

1922…2 

1923…2

1924…3 

1925…2

1926…2

1927…3

1928…3

1929…3

1930…3

1931…0

1932…2

1933…3

1934…3

1935…4

1936…7

1937…0

1938…1

1939…0

1940…3

1941…2

1942…7

1943…2

1944…2

1945…6

1946…2

1947…2

1948…3

1949…2

1950…2

1951…3

1952…1

1953…1

1954…1

1955…4

1956…0

1957…3

1958…3

1959…2

1960…3

1961…2

1962…4

1963…9

1964…0

1965…8

1966…4

1967…2

1968…6

1969…1

1970…5

1971…4

1972…3

1973…1

1974…2

1975…2

1976…3

1977…5

1978…4

1979…7

1980…2

1981…3

1982…6

1983…5

1984…4

1985…5

1986…4

1987…3

1988…7

1989…5

1990…2

1991…1

1992…2

1993…2

1994…8

1995…2 

1996…6

1997…4

1998…1

1999…3

2000…6

2001…1

2002…2

2003…1

2004…3

2005…1

2006…1

2007…6

 

 

 

Greatest Consecutive Number of Days

with Minimum Temperature Zero or Lower

10 days: 9 days:
January 4-January 13, 1912 December 13-21, 1963
 
                                                                                                                       
                                                               

Greatest Number of Days in a Month

with a Minimum of Zero or Less

 
17 January, 1977 13 January, 1887
      January, 1888
15 January, 1963   January, 1912
      February, 1936
14 February, 1875   January, 1982
  January, 1979    
    12  January, 1885
                                                                   

Greatest Number of Days During

Winter with Temperatures Below Zero

 

1884-85…25

1935-36…24

1962-63…24

1981-82…22

1874-75…21

1978-79…21

1872-73…19

 
Winters without any Zero or Lower Temperature*
Lowest Temperature that winter in parentheses
 

1881-82 (1)

1938-39 (2)

1905-06 (6)

1955-56 (2)

1930-31 (6)

1959-60 (6)

1931-32 (1)

1982-83 (3)

1936-37 (1)

 
*(Normally there are 13 days of sub-zero low temperatures)
 
Years without any Zero or Lower Temperature
Lowest Temperature that year in parentheses
 

1906 (6)

1939 (3)

1921 (8)

1956 (2)

1931 (6)

1964 (2)

1937 (1)

 
                                                                 
Longest Continuous Period Below Freezing
 

43 days

December 28, 1976-February 8, 1977

 

 

33 days 

January 15, 1985-February 16, 1985

 

 

29 days

December 18, 1878-January 15, 1879

 

January 22, 1895-February 19, 1895

 

 

28 days

January 22, 1905-February 18, 1905

 

December 28, 1917-January 24, 1918

 
Longest Consecutive Number of Hours Below Zero
 

100 hours

December 22nd -December 25, 1983

 
First Freeze of the Season
 
Average Date: October 15th
Earliest Date: September 22, 1995 (32)
Latest Date: November 24, 1931 (30)
               
 
Last Spring Freeze of the Season
 
Average Date: April 23rd
Earliest Date: March 19, 1925 (28)
Latest Date: May 25, 1992 (32)
 
 
First Killing Frost (28 Degrees or Lower)
 
Average Date: October 27th
Earliest Date: October 2, 1974 (28)
Latest Date: December 3, 1899 (27)
               
Largest Temperature Change from One Day to the Next
High and Low temperatures for the days in parentheses
 
Drop of 61 Degrees: November 11-12, 1911 (74/32; 32/13)
     
Drop of 58 Degrees: February 8-9, 1900 (62/10; 19/4)
  December 13-14, 1901 (49/8; 8/-9)
     
Drop of 57 Degrees: January 18-19, 1996 (61/13; 13/4)
     
Rise of 58 Degrees: February 13-14, 1887 (30/0; 58/18)
  March 10-11, 1972 (40/15; 73/30)
     
Rise of 56 Degrees: April 9-10, 1977 (62/29; 85/48)
  April 23-24, 1986 (63/25; 81/47)
           
 
Biggest Range in a Single Calendar Day
High and Low temperature in parentheses
 
52 Degrees: February 8, 1900 (62/10)
     
51 Degrees: February 21, 1873 (40/-11)
  January 13, 1888 (42/-9)
     
49 Degrees: March 29, 1895 (80/31)
        
 
Greatest One Hour Drop in Temperature
 

30 Degrees                        March 26, 1908

71 degrees at 2 pm and dropped to 41 degrees at 3pm.

 :                                                                      
                                                                           
Other Significant Temperature Changes
  
April 20, 1936-The temperature fell from 82 degrees to 55 in 10 minutes.  Thereafter, the temperature fell to 32 degrees by 4am on the 21st.
January 30, 1938-The temperature fell from 45 degrees at 7am to zero 24 hours later.
May 9, 1963-Grant Park, Lake Effect.  22 degree drop from 84 degrees to 62 in 150 seconds.


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