A personal watercraft in Illinois is off the water for about 7 months a year at Chicago, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 20 at Springfield (NOAA 1991-2020). 37 jet ski & PWC storage facilities are listed in Illinois, 15 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Chicago high / low | personal watercraft | Chicago snow | Springfield high / low | personal watercraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32° / 19° | off the water | 11.3 in | 36° / 20° | off the water |
| Feb | 36° / 22° | off the water | 10.7 in | 41° / 24° | off the water |
| Mar | 47° / 31° | off the water | 5.5 in | 53° / 33° | off the water |
| Apr | 59° / 40° | off the water | 1.3 in | 66° / 43° | off the water |
| May | 71° / 51° | wetsuit weather | 0.0 in | 76° / 54° | wetsuit weather |
| Jun | 80° / 61° | on the water | 0.0 in | 84° / 63° | on the water |
| Jul | 85° / 66° | on the water | 0.0 in | 87° / 66° | on the water |
| Aug | 83° / 65° | on the water | 0.0 in | 85° / 64° | on the water |
| Sep | 76° / 57° | wetsuit weather | 0.0 in | 80° / 56° | on the water |
| Oct | 63° / 45° | off the water | 0.2 in | 67° / 45° | wetsuit weather |
| Nov | 48° / 34° | off the water | 1.8 in | 53° / 34° | off the water |
| Dec | 37° / 24° | off the water | 7.6 in | 41° / 25° | off the water |
Jet Ski column rule: on the water from a 76°F high; wetsuit weather from 66°F; off the water below.
By that rule a personal watercraft at Chicago has 3 months on the water (June to August), 2 of wetsuit weather and 7 off the water. By that rule a personal watercraft at Springfield has 4 months on the water (June to September), 2 of wetsuit weather and 6 off the water.
Illinois is hard-freeze country: Chicago logs about 121.3 nights at or below 32°F and 43.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the exhaust, cooling passages and pump housing.
37 live listings in 4 cities; by listed type: 15 indoor, 6 covered and 15 outdoor (types overlap). No Illinois jet ski & PWC storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest View Marina | Chicago | indoor, outdoor, covered | ||
| Chicago Yacht Works | Chicago | indoor, outdoor, covered | ||
| Gordys Marine | Waukegan | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Full Throttle Marine | Waukegan | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Midwest Systems | East Saint Louis | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| North Shore Marine LLC | North Chicago | |||
| Bay Marine Chicago- Boat Service & Storage Center | North Chicago | |||
| Chicago Park District 59th St Hrbr | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| Westrec Marina | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| Shoreline Sightseeing | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| Crowleys Yacht Yard | Chicago | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Marina Bisaro, ATC, MS | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| Morningstar Performance Marine Inc. | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| First Lady | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Boat | |
| Next Wave Watersports | Chicago | |||
| Canal Street Marina | Chicago | |||
| Sky Dock Chicago | Chicago | |||
| Rentner Marine Services | Chicago | |||
| Public Storage | North Chicago | |||
| Marine Services Corporation | Chicago |
| City | Jet Ski & PWC Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 25 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| North Chicago | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Waukegan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| East Saint Louis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 28 at Chicago and October 20 at Springfield; winterize by October 6, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our personal watercraft rule Chicago stays on the water through August and Springfield through September, then 2 months of wetsuit weather follow at Chicago. 15 Illinois listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
7 at Chicago (September to May) and 6 at Springfield (October to May), plus 2 and 2 months of wetsuit weather. Those off the water months hold 38.4 of the 38.4 inches of snow Chicago averages a year (100%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Chicago a personal watercraft is on the water from June to August (3 months), against 4 at Springfield.
Of 37 live Illinois listings, 15 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 15 outdoor and 6 covered. By city: Chicago (25 listed, 11 indoor), North Chicago (8 listed, 0 indoor), Waukegan (3 listed, 3 indoor) and East Saint Louis (1 listed, 1 indoor). Most indoor listings: Chicago (11), Waukegan (3) and East Saint Louis (1). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 4 cities in all.
At Chicago, 4 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them off the water months by our personal watercraft rule. Chicago logs 121.3 nights at or below 32°F and 6.5 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 18.8°F and is off the water for a personal watercraft.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 16 at Chicago and April 14 at Springfield; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 5 and April 3. Our rule makes June the first month on the water at Chicago and June at Springfield. That month Chicago averages a 60.8°F low and a 80.4°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Illinois jet ski & PWC storage listings span 4 cities, led by Chicago (25 listed), North Chicago (8 listed), Waukegan (3 listed) and East Saint Louis (1 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Chicago (11 outdoor) and Waukegan (3 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 15 list outdoor, 6 covered and 15 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 20.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00094846, USW00093822); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).