What is the hottest day ever recorded in Chicago?

Chicago's hottest day on record reached 104°F, set on June 20, 1988. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 44°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 60°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.

What is the record high temperature in Chicago?

The all-time record high in Chicago is 104°F, recorded on June 20, 1988. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.

What is the coldest day ever recorded in Chicago?

Chicago's coldest day on record bottomed out at -27°F, set on January 20, 1985. Like the record high, it comes from the station's complete daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.

What is the record low temperature in Chicago?

The all-time record low in Chicago is -27°F, recorded on January 20, 1985. The gap between that and the 104°F record high — a span of 131°F — is the full range of temperatures Chicago has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Chicago?

It depends on how far above Chicago's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 60°F; the all-time record of 104°F (set 1988) sits about 44°F above that. The anomaly readout at the top of this page compares the current temperature against this month's normal high, so you can see exactly how unusual today is rather than guessing.

When did Chicago set its temperature records?

Chicago's record high of 104°F was set in 1988 (June 20, 1988), and its record low of -27°F in 1985 (January 20, 1985). Both are pulled from the station's complete daily record going back to 1958, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Chicago been getting hotter?

Yes — Chicago's annual mean temperature has trended about 4.6°F warmer since 1958, in line with the long-term warming seen across nearly every US city. That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.

Chicago, Illinois Weather Records

The hottest and coldest days Chicago has ever recorded — and how today compares to normal

Chicago, IL · Today vs. normal

4°F below the June normal

Right now it’s 76°F in Chicago — about 4° below the June normal high of 80°F.

Chicago’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 104°Fset June 20, 1988
Coldest day on record: -27°Fset January 20, 1985

That is a 131°F span between the hottest and coldest days Chicago has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1958.

How extreme Chicago’s weather gets

Chicago’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 60°F, and the normal high for June runs about 80°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 104°F in 1988 — roughly 44°F above a typical year’s average high, the kind of gap that turns an ordinary summer into a genuine heat event.

At the other end, Chicago has bottomed out at -27°F (1985). Together the two extremes span 131°F — the full width of what this place’s weather has done across the station’s daily record back to 1958. Those edges are exactly why the anomaly readout at the top of this page is worth a glance: it shows where today falls between the normal and the record, so a hot afternoon can be judged against the real history rather than a hunch. A reading a few degrees over the June normal is ordinary; one pushing toward the 104°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Chicago?: Chicago's hottest day on record reached 104°F, set on June 20, 1988. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 44°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 60°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.
What is the record high temperature in Chicago?: The all-time record high in Chicago is 104°F, recorded on June 20, 1988. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.
What is the coldest day ever recorded in Chicago?: Chicago's coldest day on record bottomed out at -27°F, set on January 20, 1985. Like the record high, it comes from the station's complete daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.
What is the record low temperature in Chicago?: The all-time record low in Chicago is -27°F, recorded on January 20, 1985. The gap between that and the 104°F record high — a span of 131°F — is the full range of temperatures Chicago has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Chicago?: It depends on how far above Chicago's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 60°F; the all-time record of 104°F (set 1988) sits about 44°F above that. The anomaly readout at the top of this page compares the current temperature against this month's normal high, so you can see exactly how unusual today is rather than guessing.
When did Chicago set its temperature records?: Chicago's record high of 104°F was set in 1988 (June 20, 1988), and its record low of -27°F in 1985 (January 20, 1985). Both are pulled from the station's complete daily record going back to 1958, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Chicago been getting hotter?: Yes — Chicago's annual mean temperature has trended about 4.6°F warmer since 1958, in line with the long-term warming seen across nearly every US city. That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.

More for Chicago

See the full Chicago, IL weather forecast — hour-by-hour outlook, NOAA radar, satellite, and air quality — or the broader Chicago climate & weather by month for the long-run averages behind these records.