Photo: Nyttend · Public domainBeardstown’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Beardstown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Beardstown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Beardstown’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Beardstown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rushville, IL, 11 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Beardstown’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Beardstown, IL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Beardstown
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rushville, IL.
Living with Beardstown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Beardstown from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Beardstown and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Beardstown yet.
Climates most like Beardstown’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beardstown, IL | 19° | 87° | 38" | 12" |
| Chillicothe, MO | 18° | 88° | 40" | 14" |
| Spring Hill, KS | 21° | 88° | 40" | 14" |
| Dayton, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 12" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Beardstown averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Beardstown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Beardstown’s place among Illinois’.
Beardstown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Beardstown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beardstown, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 1.9" | 3.3" | 6 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 1.9" | 4.5" | 6 | 18° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.3" | 7 | 34° – 55° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 45° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 0.2" | 7 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 2.0" | 2.5" | 7 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 37.9" | 11.8" | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Beardstown’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Beardstown’s center.
- Snow: Beardstown, IL (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rushville, IL, 11 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Beardstown’s climate
What is the weather like in Beardstown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Beardstown in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Beardstown get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Beardstown, IL, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Beardstown?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Rushville, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Beardstown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 189 frost-free days, at Rushville, IL.
What growing zone is Beardstown in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Beardstown?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Beardstown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Beardstown.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.