Weather Update for Chicagoland

The last days of spring are ahead and we’re going to ramp up temperatures and humidity around Chicagoland. Yesterday only getting to the mid 70s at O’Hare when the average high temp is now in the 80s.

June Weather Summary

It’s been a cool June overall. Out of the first two weeks of this month, we’ve seen 11 of 14 days have been at or below average highs. We’ve also had a lot of Canadian wildfire smoke in our air and hurting air quality somewhat. Most of the wildfire smoke is pretty high in the atmosphere– what we call ‘aloft’. So, mostly it just makes our skies hazy and diminishes our high temperature potential. While it does make for pretty sunrises and sunsets– it also can be harmful for folks with respiratory issues if they spend too much time outside.

Temperature and Rainfall Update

We saw last week our first temp of the month in the 90s. An average June sees about five days of 90 or warmer. But the 92 degrees on the 11th was only our second hottest day of the year– the only hotter day was May 15th when we got to 94.

June is about an inch behind where we should be for rainfall. It continues our unseasonably dry May. Since January 1st we’re actually down six inches of precipitation. It’s one of the reasons why this week’s Drought Monitor that comes out on Thursdays has us still as having ‘moderate’ drought conditions.

Lake Water Temperatures

While temps have been cooler than average for the last couple weeks of May and the beginning of this month– our lake water temperatures have been slowly inching milder. As of this writing, we’re seeing water temps along the Lake Michigan shore now up to 63 degrees.

Water temp in the low 60s is almost swimmable– especially with some air temperatures ahead in the muggy 90s for this week. While most of the cold water dangers have passed– any water temps below 70 degrees can sap the strength of even the strongest swimmers.

Summer-Like Heat Ahead

We are going to see some summer-like heat here in the last days of astronomical spring. We’re going to start adding many days into our tally of days above 80 degrees– and even a few days above 90 for the coming week. We usually have about 80 days of 80 or warmer.

It doesn’t look like we’ll break any records with the coming warmth, nor get any temps in the triple digit range. Actually, we haven’t seen a temperature of 100 degrees or warmer at O’Hare Int’l since July of 2023.

Temperature Outlook

We do look to flip the script on our temperatures though. We’ll have the entire eastern 2/3 of the country above average for the 10-14 day outlook. So, the end of this month will likely feel quite different from the beginning. The big discussion in our weather office is whether we’ll flip back (yet again) in the beginning of July to another stretch of cool weather.

Summer Begins

What we do know for sure is that summer begins officially in the 9p hour on this coming Friday. Solstice is calculated for when the sun is directly overhead at noon on the equator. Solstice is Latin for ‘sun standing’ and the sun will appear to arc to the same point in our northern skies for several days before it starts to march every day a tiny bit further south.

While the days get shorter in July, to the tune of 43 minutes over the whole month, it’s on average our warmest month of the year in Chicagoland. The average high temp is mid 80s for the whole month. The average low is in the mid 60s. Enjoy the warmer days ahead!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the weather in Chicagoland is expected to heat up in the coming days, with temperatures rising above average. While we may not break any records, the warmth will be a welcome change from the cool June we’ve experienced so far. With summer officially beginning on Friday, we can expect the warmest month of the year to bring plenty of sunshine and heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the average high temperature in July in Chicagoland?

A: The average high temperature in July in Chicagoland is in the mid 80s.

Q: How many days of 90 degrees or warmer can we expect in June?

A: An average June sees about five days of 90 or warmer.

Q: What is the current lake water temperature along the Lake Michigan shore?

A: The current lake water temperature along the Lake Michigan shore is around 63 degrees.

Q: What is the significance of the summer solstice?

A: The summer solstice marks the official beginning of summer and is calculated for when the sun is directly overhead at noon on the equator.