Swimming at North Avenue Beach today
Chicago, Illinois
Updated 3:00 AM CDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
North Avenue Beach is also scored for
About North Avenue Beach
North Avenue Beach sits on Lake Michigan, where the water runs from about 36°F in January to 74°F in August.
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 74°F in August and dropping to about 36°F in January.
Today it is 65°F. That is 3° above the October average of 62°F here.
Frequently asked questions
Is North Avenue Beach good for swimming today?
Swimmable, with care — we score it 76 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is water temperature at 65°F.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at North Avenue Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 74°F in August and dropping to about 36°F in January.