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Built 2026-10-19 (19 October 2026)

Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) in Chicago

Chicago has had nights with a minimum temperature at or below -20 C (-4 F) in 58 years, most in 1963 with 36. Days per year, season span, streaks and every date.

Key Facts for Chicago

  • Chicago has had nights with a minimum temperature at or below -20 C (-4 F) in 58 years, 354 days in all.
  • The most in one year was 36 days in 1963.
  • In 2026, the latest year on file, there were 2 such days.
  • The earliest first date in a year was 1 January 1964.
  • The latest last date in a year was 31 December 1968.
  • The longest run inside a single year was 10 days in 1963.
  • 2 years with under 90 percent of days observed are left out of these rankings.

Days per Year

58 years, 354 days
Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) per year in Chicago Days per year in Chicago with a minimum temperature at or below -20 C (-4 F). The line is the decade average. The most was 36 in 1963. Grey bars are years with under 90 percent of days observed, left out of rankings. 0102030401959: 61960: 31961: 61962: 111963: 361964: 11965: 91966: 101967: 61968: 51969: 61970: 91971: 41972: 111974: 11975: 11976: 61977: 111978: 91979: 151980: 21981: 61982: 121983: 91984: 61985: 181986: 51987: 21988: 81989: 91990: 11992: 31993: 11994: 161995: 11996: 61997: 81999: 42000: 72002: 12003: 22004: 22006: 12007: 62008: 62009: 32011: 32013: 12014: 112015: 62016: 22018: 22019: 62021: 22022: 32024: 32025: 22026: 2195919691980199020032016
Days per year in Chicago with a minimum temperature at or below -20 C (-4 F). The line is the decade average. The most was 36 in 1963. Grey bars are years with under 90 percent of days observed, left out of rankings.
Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) per year in Chicago
YearDaysDecade average
195966
196039.3
196169.3
1962119.3
1963369.3
196419.3
196599.3
1966109.3
196769.3
196859.3
196969.3
197097.4
197147.4
1972117.4
197417.4
197517.4
197667.4
1977117.4
197897.4
1979157.4
198027.7
198167.7
1982127.7
198397.7
198467.7
1985187.7
198657.7
198727.7
198887.7
198997.7
199015
199235
199315
1994165
199515
199665
199785
199945
200073.5
200213.5
200323.5
200423.5
200613.5
200763.5
200863.5
200933.5
201134.4
201314.4
2014114.4
201564.4
201624.4
201824.4
201964.4
202122.4
202232.4
202432.4
202522.4
202622.4

Season Span

earliest 1 January, latest 31 December
First to last qualifying date each year in Chicago For each year, a bar from the first to the last day in Chicago meeting -20 C (-4 F). Long bars mean a long season. 1959: 4 January 1959 to 6 February 19591960: 21 December 1960 to 23 December 19601961: 22 January 1961 to 28 December 19611962: 9 January 1962 to 26 December 19621963: 13 January 1963 to 31 December 19631964: 1 January 1964 to 1 January 19641965: 14 January 1965 to 4 February 19651966: 17 January 1966 to 20 February 19661967: 17 January 1967 to 31 December 19671968: 1 January 1968 to 31 December 19681969: 1 January 1969 to 12 January 19691970: 6 January 1970 to 3 February 19701971: 6 January 1971 to 2 February 19711972: 5 January 1972 to 17 December 19721974: 12 January 1974 to 12 January 19741975: 9 February 1975 to 9 February 19751976: 8 January 1976 to 31 December 19761977: 11 January 1977 to 11 December 19771978: 2 January 1978 to 10 December 19781979: 2 January 1979 to 19 February 19791980: 17 February 1980 to 25 December 19801981: 3 January 1981 to 12 February 19811982: 7 January 1982 to 10 February 19821983: 18 December 1983 to 30 December 19831984: 10 January 1984 to 21 January 19841985: 3 January 1985 to 25 December 19851986: 7 January 1986 to 13 February 19861987: 23 January 1987 to 24 January 19871988: 4 January 1988 to 13 February 19881989: 6 February 1989 to 24 December 19891990: 26 December 1990 to 26 December 19901992: 15 January 1992 to 19 January 19921993: 24 February 1993 to 24 February 19931994: 7 January 1994 to 27 February 19941995: 9 December 1995 to 9 December 19951996: 30 January 1996 to 4 February 19961997: 11 January 1997 to 29 January 19971999: 4 January 1999 to 9 January 19992000: 12 December 2000 to 25 December 20002002: 4 March 2002 to 4 March 20022003: 23 January 2003 to 27 January 20032004: 30 January 2004 to 31 January 20042006: 18 February 2006 to 18 February 20062007: 3 February 2007 to 16 February 20072008: 20 January 2008 to 22 December 20082009: 15 January 2009 to 5 February 20092011: 21 January 2011 to 10 February 20112013: 10 December 2013 to 10 December 20132014: 3 January 2014 to 12 February 20142015: 6 January 2015 to 28 February 20152016: 18 December 2016 to 19 December 20162018: 1 January 2018 to 2 January 20182019: 25 January 2019 to 31 January 20192021: 7 February 2021 to 14 February 20212022: 26 January 2022 to 23 December 20222024: 14 January 2024 to 16 January 20242025: 21 January 2025 to 18 February 20252026: 23 January 2026 to 24 January 202619591967197619841993200320142025JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
For each year, a bar from the first to the last day in Chicago meeting -20 C (-4 F). Long bars mean a long season.
First to last qualifying date each year in Chicago
YearFirst dateLast date
19591959-01-041959-02-06
19601960-12-211960-12-23
19611961-01-221961-12-28
19621962-01-091962-12-26
19631963-01-131963-12-31
19641964-01-011964-01-01
19651965-01-141965-02-04
19661966-01-171966-02-20
19671967-01-171967-12-31
19681968-01-011968-12-31
19691969-01-011969-01-12
19701970-01-061970-02-03
19711971-01-061971-02-02
19721972-01-051972-12-17
19741974-01-121974-01-12
19751975-02-091975-02-09
19761976-01-081976-12-31
19771977-01-111977-12-11
19781978-01-021978-12-10
19791979-01-021979-02-19
19801980-02-171980-12-25
19811981-01-031981-02-12
19821982-01-071982-02-10
19831983-12-181983-12-30
19841984-01-101984-01-21
19851985-01-031985-12-25
19861986-01-071986-02-13
19871987-01-231987-01-24
19881988-01-041988-02-13
19891989-02-061989-12-24
19901990-12-261990-12-26
19921992-01-151992-01-19
19931993-02-241993-02-24
19941994-01-071994-02-27
19951995-12-091995-12-09
19961996-01-301996-02-04
19971997-01-111997-01-29
19991999-01-041999-01-09
20002000-12-122000-12-25
20022002-03-042002-03-04
20032003-01-232003-01-27
20042004-01-302004-01-31
20062006-02-182006-02-18
20072007-02-032007-02-16
20082008-01-202008-12-22
20092009-01-152009-02-05
20112011-01-212011-02-10
20132013-12-102013-12-10
20142014-01-032014-02-12
20152015-01-062015-02-28
20162016-12-182016-12-19
20182018-01-012018-01-02
20192019-01-252019-01-31
20212021-02-072021-02-14
20222022-01-262022-12-23
20242024-01-142024-01-16
20252025-01-212025-02-18
20262026-01-232026-01-24

Every Year

Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) per year in Chicago
YearDaysFirst dateLast dateLongest streak in yearCoverage
2026223 January 202624 January 20262 daysIncomplete, not ranked
2025221 January 202518 February 20251 daysComplete
2024314 January 202416 January 20243 daysComplete
2022326 January 202223 December 20222 daysComplete
202127 February 202114 February 20211 daysComplete
2019625 January 201931 January 20193 daysComplete
201821 January 20182 January 20182 daysComplete
2016218 December 201619 December 20162 daysComplete
201566 January 201528 February 20153 daysComplete
2014113 January 201412 February 20143 daysComplete
2013110 December 201310 December 20131 daysComplete
2011321 January 201110 February 20111 daysComplete
2009315 January 20095 February 20092 daysComplete
2008620 January 200822 December 20082 daysComplete
200763 February 200716 February 20074 daysComplete
2006118 February 200618 February 20061 daysComplete
2004230 January 200431 January 20042 daysComplete
2003223 January 200327 January 20031 daysComplete
200214 March 20024 March 20021 daysComplete
2000712 December 200025 December 20004 daysComplete
199944 January 19999 January 19992 daysComplete
1997811 January 199729 January 19973 daysComplete
1996630 January 19964 February 19966 daysComplete
199519 December 19959 December 19951 daysComplete
1994167 January 199427 February 19948 daysComplete
1993124 February 199324 February 19931 daysComplete
1992315 January 199219 January 19922 daysComplete
1990126 December 199026 December 19901 daysComplete
198996 February 198924 December 19895 daysComplete
198884 January 198813 February 19884 daysComplete
1987223 January 198724 January 19872 daysComplete
198657 January 198613 February 19862 daysComplete
1985183 January 198525 December 19855 daysComplete
1984610 January 198421 January 19844 daysComplete
1983918 December 198330 December 19835 daysComplete
1982127 January 198210 February 19824 daysComplete
198163 January 198112 February 19812 daysComplete
1980217 February 198025 December 19801 daysComplete
1979152 January 197919 February 19795 daysComplete
197892 January 197810 December 19783 daysComplete
19771111 January 197711 December 19773 daysComplete
197668 January 197631 December 19762 daysComplete
197519 February 19759 February 19751 daysComplete
1974112 January 197412 January 19741 daysComplete
1972115 January 197217 December 19723 daysComplete
197146 January 19712 February 19713 daysComplete
197096 January 19703 February 19704 daysComplete
196961 January 196912 January 19693 daysComplete
196851 January 196831 December 19682 daysComplete
1967617 January 196731 December 19672 daysComplete
19661017 January 196620 February 19664 daysComplete
1965914 January 19654 February 19658 daysComplete
196411 January 19641 January 19640 daysComplete
19633613 January 196331 December 196310 daysComplete
1962119 January 196226 December 19623 daysComplete
1961622 January 196128 December 19612 daysComplete
1960321 December 196023 December 19603 daysComplete
195964 January 19596 February 19592 daysComplete
Decade averages for Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) in Chicago
DecadeAverage days per yearYears counted
1950s6.01
1960s9.310
1970s7.49
1980s7.710
1990s5.08
2000s3.58
2010s4.47
2020s2.54

Compare with your own threshold in the threshold explorer. Fahrenheit thresholds are converted to tenths of a degree Celsius once, rounding half up.

Download the Data

  • Data for Nights at or below -20 C (-4 F) in Chicago, by year: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-17 (17 October 2026). Threshold counts are computed by this site from the threaded city record.

Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-17).