United States
Chicago in December
❄️ Snowy winterCold and some showers.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat
Why December scores 7.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.4
- !Cold (3°C highs / -4°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -3°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~59 mm rain)
- Air quality9.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~11 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | Sep | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.8 Very good | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Snowy winter | 🍂 Autumn |
| High / low | 3° / -4° | 25° / 15° |
| Rain | 59 mm | 85 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -3° | dew pt 15° |
| PM2.5 | 11 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Chicago weather-station normals. Rainfall: Chicago Midway weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Chicago
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Nov–Mar (most in Jan: ~9 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Chicago Midway. About 32 cm of snow falls in an average Jan.
Source: Chicago Midway weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore ChicagoEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA big Midwestern city on Lake Michigan, known for its architecture, art museums, lakefront, deep-dish pizza and blues music.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
St. Patrick's Day river dyeingDate variesUsually the Saturday before 17 March
The river is dyed bright green, followed by a parade.
Why go: Riverbank viewing spots fill early in the morning.
Where: Chicago River downtown
Chicago Blues FestivalDate variesUsually June
A large free blues music festival.
Why go: Free entry; bring a blanket.
Where: Millennium Park
LollapaloozaDate variesUsually late July or early August
A major multi-day music festival.
Why go: Hotels downtown fill up and prices rise.
Where: Grant Park
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
A downtown park with the reflective 'Bean' sculpture and free summer concerts.
Art Institute of Chicago
One of the leading art museums in the US.
Chicago Architecture River Cruise
Boat tours explaining the city's skyscrapers.
Willis Tower Skydeck
An observation deck with glass ledges high above the city.
Museum Campus
The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium on the lakefront.
Wrigley Field
The historic home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
Deep-dish pizza
A thick, pie-like pizza with cheese under the sauce.
Chicago-style hot dog
A beef hot dog with mustard, relish, onions, tomato, pickle, peppers and celery salt, never ketchup.
Italian beef
Thinly sliced roast beef in a roll dipped in gravy.
Tavern-style pizza
Thin, crispy pizza cut into squares, the local everyday style.
Garrett Popcorn
Caramel and cheese popcorn mixed together, a Chicago favourite.
Chicago-style popcorn
Tins of caramel and cheese popcorn.
💡 Popcorn shops downtown
Sports merchandise
Cubs, White Sox, Bears and Bulls gear.
💡 Stadium and sports shops
Architecture souvenirs
Books and models about Chicago's buildings.
💡 Museum shops