January in Bradford bites harder than in 86% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 84°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 65% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 24 to October 17.
A year in Bradford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bradford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bradford’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Bradford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kewanee 1 E, IL, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bradford’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bradford 3sse, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bradford
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Kewanee 1 E, IL.
Living with Bradford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bradford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bradford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bradford yet.
Climates most like Bradford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford, IL | 15° | 84° | 39" | 23" |
| Oskaloosa, IA | 13° | 85° | 37" | 24" |
| Columbia City, IN | 17° | 83° | 39" | 21" |
| Bucyrus, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 23" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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 Bradford averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Bradford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bradford’s place among Illinois’.
Bradford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bradford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bradford 3sse, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 1.9" | 7.3" | 8 | 15 | 14° – 35° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 1.9" | 5.4" | 7 | 10 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.5" | 2.7" | 9 | 3 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 31° – 49° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 2.1" | 5.7" | 9 | 10 | 14° – 38° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 38.5" | 22.5" | 105 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bradford’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 Bradford’s center.
- Snow: Bradford 3sse, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kewanee 1 E, IL, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Bradford’s climate
What is the weather like in Bradford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bradford in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Bradford get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Bradford 3sse, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bradford?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Kewanee 1 E, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Bradford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 175 frost-free days, at Kewanee 1 E, IL.
What growing zone is Bradford in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bradford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bradford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bradford.
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.