Chicago · United States

Chicago in May: every year compared

In May, Chicago averages highs of 19.8 °C and lows of 11.5 °C, with 111 mm of precipitation. The warmest May was 1977 (19.8 °C), the coldest 1940 (10.6 °C).

Avg. highAvg. high 19.8 °C

Avg. lowAvg. low 11.5 °C

PrecipitationPrecipitation 111 mm

Rainy daysRainy days 12

Day by day through May

Normal high and low for each day of May in Chicago.

Normal high and low, day by dayNormal 1991–2020

Every May in Chicago, ranked

86 months of May since 1940. The last one, 2025, ranks 71 of 86 (−2.3 °C vs normal).

194019832025

2025 · 13.4 °C · −2.3 °C vs normal · rank 71 of 86

Warmest years

1197719.8 °C
2199119.3 °C
3201218.8 °C
4198218.7 °C
5199818.7 °C

Coldest years

1194010.6 °C
2194711.3 °C
3194512.1 °C
4194312.2 °C
5196612.3 °C

All 86 years in a table

Year	Mean temperature	Daytime highs	Night lows	Precipitation	Hot days (30 °C+)	Frost days	Snowfall	Rainy days
2025	13.4 °C	17.4 °C	9.8 °C	105 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	9 days
2024	17.1 °C	21.5 °C	12.5 °C	105 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
2023	15.3 °C	19.7 °C	10.6 °C	56 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
2022	16.7 °C	20.4 °C	13.0 °C	144 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
2021	14.9 °C	18.9 °C	10.7 °C	110 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
2020	14.0 °C	17.6 °C	10.1 °C	133 mm	0 days	1 day	0 cm	10 days
2019	14.0 °C	18.2 °C	9.7 °C	168 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	19 days
2018	17.6 °C	21.9 °C	13.4 °C	168 mm	2 days	0 days	0 cm	16 days
2017	13.7 °C	17.4 °C	9.8 °C	110 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	14 days
2016	15.1 °C	19.3 °C	10.8 °C	91 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
2015	15.8 °C	19.9 °C	11.6 °C	152 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
2014	15.1 °C	19.4 °C	10.4 °C	85 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
2013	16.5 °C	20.9 °C	12.4 °C	134 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
2012	18.8 °C	23.5 °C	14.1 °C	104 mm	5 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
2011	15.2 °C	19.2 °C	11.4 °C	113 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	15 days
2010	17.1 °C	20.8 °C	13.3 °C	154 mm	3 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
2009	16.1 °C	20.5 °C	11.5 °C	82 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
2008	14.1 °C	18.0 °C	9.7 °C	55 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
2007	18.1 °C	23.0 °C	13.2 °C	53 mm	2 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
2006	15.6 °C	19.6 °C	11.6 °C	91 mm	2 days	0 days	0 cm	14 days
2005	14.7 °C	19.0 °C	10.2 °C	33 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	6 days
2004	16.6 °C	20.9 °C	12.4 °C	158 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	16 days
2003	13.5 °C	17.3 °C	9.8 °C	138 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
2002	13.3 °C	17.7 °C	8.8 °C	148 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
2001	16.3 °C	20.3 °C	12.2 °C	107 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
2000	17.3 °C	21.5 °C	13.1 °C	157 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
1999	17.3 °C	21.5 °C	13.3 °C	81 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1998	18.7 °C	22.4 °C	14.5 °C	80 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1997	12.7 °C	16.5 °C	8.7 °C	102 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1996	13.5 °C	17.4 °C	9.6 °C	231 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	18 days
1995	14.8 °C	18.6 °C	10.6 °C	149 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1994	14.9 °C	19.3 °C	10.1 °C	42 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	7 days
1993	15.8 °C	20.3 °C	11.4 °C	83 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1992	15.1 °C	19.5 °C	10.2 °C	16 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	5 days
1991	19.3 °C	23.3 °C	15.7 °C	104 mm	3 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1990	14.0 °C	17.8 °C	10.4 °C	131 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	11 days
1989	14.7 °C	18.5 °C	10.7 °C	64 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1988	16.5 °C	21.5 °C	11.4 °C	36 mm	3 days	0 days	0 cm	4 days
1987	18.2 °C	22.6 °C	13.7 °C	83 mm	5 days	0 days	0 cm	9 days
1986	15.8 °C	19.5 °C	12.3 °C	114 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1985	17.4 °C	22.0 °C	12.8 °C	75 mm	2 days	0 days	0 cm	11 days
1984	13.7 °C	17.6 °C	9.7 °C	156 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1983	13.4 °C	17.1 °C	9.3 °C	150 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	17 days
1982	18.7 °C	23.2 °C	14.4 °C	119 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1981	13.5 °C	17.4 °C	9.4 °C	110 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
1980	15.6 °C	20.1 °C	11.4 °C	59 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	9 days
1979	15.3 °C	19.7 °C	10.4 °C	31 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	9 days
1978	14.5 °C	18.3 °C	10.5 °C	60 mm	3 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1977	19.8 °C	25.0 °C	15.0 °C	24 mm	7 days	0 days	0 cm	6 days
1976	13.4 °C	17.5 °C	9.1 °C	124 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	11 days
1975	16.4 °C	20.7 °C	12.3 °C	102 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1974	13.8 °C	17.5 °C	10.2 °C	126 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
1973	13.4 °C	17.1 °C	9.7 °C	130 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	16 days
1972	15.4 °C	19.8 °C	10.8 °C	70 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1971	13.8 °C	18.2 °C	8.9 °C	51 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	7 days
1970	16.7 °C	21.5 °C	11.8 °C	109 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	14 days
1969	14.7 °C	19.6 °C	10.0 °C	92 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	11 days
1968	13.9 °C	18.0 °C	9.8 °C	70 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1967	12.4 °C	16.4 °C	8.3 °C	67 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1966	12.3 °C	16.5 °C	7.8 °C	89 mm	0 days	1 day	0 cm	11 days
1965	17.6 °C	22.4 °C	12.8 °C	35 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	9 days
1964	17.9 °C	22.6 °C	13.1 °C	84 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	5 days
1963	14.3 °C	19.0 °C	9.4 °C	55 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
1962	18.5 °C	22.9 °C	14.6 °C	58 mm	4 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1961	13.2 °C	17.5 °C	8.6 °C	63 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	11 days
1960	14.0 °C	18.0 °C	10.3 °C	106 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
1959	17.9 °C	22.3 °C	13.7 °C	75 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	15 days
1958	15.2 °C	20.5 °C	10.1 °C	49 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
1957	14.3 °C	18.4 °C	10.0 °C	202 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	13 days
1956	14.9 °C	19.7 °C	10.2 °C	140 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	16 days
1955	16.5 °C	20.9 °C	11.9 °C	78 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1954	13.3 °C	17.5 °C	8.9 °C	62 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	7 days
1953	15.6 °C	19.8 °C	10.9 °C	68 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	9 days
1952	14.2 °C	18.2 °C	10.3 °C	121 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	17 days
1951	15.8 °C	20.4 °C	11.3 °C	114 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1950	15.0 °C	19.6 °C	10.2 °C	34 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	8 days
1949	15.9 °C	20.6 °C	10.8 °C	65 mm	1 day	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1948	12.5 °C	16.8 °C	7.8 °C	98 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	14 days
1947	11.3 °C	15.5 °C	7.0 °C	103 mm	0 days	2 days	0 cm	17 days
1946	13.3 °C	17.2 °C	9.4 °C	121 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	16 days
1945	12.1 °C	15.8 °C	8.5 °C	207 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	17 days
1944	16.5 °C	20.6 °C	12.4 °C	118 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	18 days
1943	12.2 °C	15.8 °C	8.6 °C	171 mm	0 days	1 day	0 cm	19 days
1942	14.5 °C	18.7 °C	10.3 °C	99 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	12 days
1941	14.4 °C	18.8 °C	10.0 °C	107 mm	0 days	0 days	0 cm	10 days
1940	10.6 °C	14.6 °C	6.5 °C	112 mm	0 days	4 days	13 cm	16 days

May records

Hottest day

34.2 °C

May 27, 2012 estimate

Nearby station: 38.9 °C on May 31, 1934 measured

Coldest night

-2.1 °C

May 1, 1943 estimate

Nearby station: -2.2 °C on May 12, 1981 measured

Wettest day

65 mm

May 17, 2020 estimate

The weather on your birthday in Chicago

Any day since 1940: high, low, rain, snow, and how warm it was compared with the same date in every other year.

Questions & answers

How warm is Chicago in May?

Highs average 19.8 °C and lows 11.5 °C. A typical May brings 1 hot days (30 °C or more) and 0 frost days.

Does it rain a lot in Chicago in May?

About 111 mm falls in May, over some 12 days with at least 1 mm. The wettest May was 1996 (231 mm), the driest 1992 (16 mm).

What was the warmest May in Chicago?

1977, with a mean temperature of 19.8 °C. The coldest was 1940 (10.6 °C). The last one, 2025, ranks 71 of 86.