Chicagos Temperature Records

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
June 28, 2012	100
* July 4, 2012	102
* July 5, 2012	103
* July 6, 2012	103

* 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
2000-2009	1
2010-2012	4

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…2	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
2009...3	2010...5	2011...5	2012...7

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	2008...2	2009...4
2010…1	2011…2	2012…0

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)	2011-12 (5)

*(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)	2012 (5)

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 22^nd -December 25, 1983

First Freeze of the Season

Average Date:	October 15^th
Earliest Date:	September 22, 1995 (32)
Latest Date:	November 24, 1931 (30)

Last Spring Freeze of the Season

Average Date:	April 23^rd
Earliest Date:	March 19, 1925 (28)
Latest Date:	May 25, 1992 (32)

First Killing Frost (28 Degrees or Lower)

Average Date:	October 27^th
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.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office