Best time to fly a kite in Chicago
Based on archive 3 years of daily weather data, the best month for kite flying in Chicago is February (kite score 97/100 — YES). Here's the full month-by-month breakdown.
Monthly averages| Month | Wind | Gusts | Rain | Temp | Good days | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.0 mph | 19.5 mph | 2.4 mm | -5°C | 15 | 85 | YES |
| February | 8.8 mph | 17.2 mph | 0.7 mm | -0°C | 12 | 97 | YES |
| March | 10.2 mph | 20.5 mph | 3.2 mm | 6°C | 13 | 70 | EH… |
| April | 10.0 mph | 20.5 mph | 3.8 mm | 10°C | 10 | 70 | EH… |
| May | 8.1 mph | 17.8 mph | 2.2 mm | 15°C | 9 | 85 | YES |
| June | 8.3 mph | 17.8 mph | 4.2 mm | 22°C | 8 | 70 | EH… |
| July | 6.6 mph | 14.9 mph | 4.0 mm | 24°C | 4 | 63 | EH… |
| August | 8.1 mph | 15.6 mph | 3.3 mm | 22°C | 8 | 70 | EH… |
| September | 7.9 mph | 14.6 mph | 3.1 mm | 20°C | 8 | 70 | EH… |
| October | 10.1 mph | 17.6 mph | 2.5 mm | 14°C | 14 | 85 | YES |
| November | 9.7 mph | 18.2 mph | 2.3 mm | 6°C | 14 | 85 | YES |
| December | 9.0 mph | 17.3 mph | 2.2 mm | 0°C | 12 | 85 | YES |
"Good days" = days with wind 8–25 mph, gusts under 31 mph and less than 2 mm rain. Scores mirror the live forecast weighting (wind 45%, gusts 25%, rain 20%, temp 10%).
Why February is the pick
In February the average wind in Chicago is 8.8 mph with gusts to 17.2 mph, average daily rain is 0.7 mm and the average temperature is -0°C. Roughly 12 days in the month fall in the ideal kite window (wind 8–25 mph, gusts under 31 mph, dry).
How this score works
The monthly kite score reuses the same scoring as the live forecast for Chicago: wind is 45% of the score, gusts 25%, rain 20% and temperature 10%. 80+ is a YES month, 50–79 is EH…, under 50 is a NOPE.
Check today before you go
Averages tell you the odds, not the forecast. Check the live wind in Chicago right now before you pack the kite.
Best time to fly a kite nearby
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See how Chicago ranks against every other city, or filter the whole list by month, region and wind: find the best places to fly a kite.
Want the raw numbers — annual averages, windiest and calmest months, and how Chicago ranks worldwide? See the wind statistics for Chicago.