WGN Weekly Climate Report | 13 July 2025

Almost into the middle of July– and a hot summer is already taking shape for Chicagoland.

Our hottest days of the year so far have all topped out at 95 degrees twice. Luckily this past week, we were cooler than the first week of the month.

But it’s been really muggy and lots of folks have been understandably still complaining about the heat– so I thought I’d flip the script start with a cold season reality check. Yes, it’s coming– and all too soon.

We’re 109 days from our average first snow of the year that typically happens by October 30th in Chicagoland. It’s been more 97 days since our last snow on April 7th at O’Hare Int’l. While the last two years have had significantly less snowfall than the average of 38.4″ of snowfall for the year– this could end up being a La Nina winter which could mean the most snow we’ve seen in about 3-5 winters.

Alrighty, enough scare tactics and back to our previously scheduled summer, already fully in progress. As most of us heat-averse folks know– we’re really starting to rack up those days above 80 degrees and 90 degrees. We see about 80 days a year in Chicagoland of days above 80 degree– and we’re almost halfway there even though the halfway point of summer isn’t until August 2nd (with the celtic / ancient druid holiday of Lunasa).

An average July sees about seven days of 90 or warmer and we usually see about 20 of those hot days all year long. We’re well on our way to above average amount of days above 90. And we could add two or possibly three more to this total before the end of this coming week.

Water temps in the Great Lakes are also warming, though water warms far more slowly than air– but it does hang onto heat longer (which we’ll talk about a lot this fall). We’re solidly in the low 70s for water temps in southern Lake Michigan. That’s swimmable-– especially with air temps in the upper 80s and 90s. This morning along the Chicago shoreline was 73 degrees. So far this year, the peak warmth for Chicago area beaches has been that 73. Our warmest Lake Michigan water temp last year was 76 degrees– and that didn’t happen until August, so warmer water days are ahead. We’re already in the upper 70s for water temps in Michigan City and even hotter conditions in the waters of the eastern Great Lakes.

We’ve had many days of rainfall this month– but the precipitation this time of year can be both intense and very spotty. So, while some places get drenched and even see flash flood advisories like around New Lenox and near Tinley Park earlier this week on Tuesday– some areas can get none at all.

Since January 1st we’re actually down many inches of precipitation– primarily due to last winter’s lack of snowfall– which was in the top ten of least snowy winters in our history going back more than 150 years of records.

Last year was our 5th least snowy and the year before was 13th out of records that go back more than 150 years.

This week’s Drought Monitor put out by the USDA on Thursdays has most of us still under ‘moderate’ drought conditions– but we’ve seen some areas of ‘severe’ drought now emerge in parts of the west and southwest suburbs. Kane and Will Counties, I’m lookin’ at you folks!

So, those folks in severe drought areas will want to really supplement their watering– and consider giving deep slow watering to trees and shrubs you might not think of watering on a regular basis since they’re established in your yard. But even they might need a drink through the next several weeks which are expected to be above our average high temps in the mid 80s.

Things to mark on your calendar for the summer: the Perseid meteor shower is active from July 17 to August 24. You can observe it any night within that time frame. The maximum number of meteors will be seen on August 12, when the shower will reach its peak. But something to keep in mind for this year if you’re trying to see them: the peak is close to August’s Full Sturgeon Moon on the 9th. Those brighter night skies can obscure many of the shooting stars– so, viewing conditions might be closer in time to the New Moons on July 24th and August 24th when the skies will be much darker. Best viewing for the Perseid Meteor showers is to get away from city lights and look straight up around midnight. Enjoy!

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