Weather without surprises: Brighton keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 63% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.8°, most of all in December. The outdoor season runs from April to June and September to October, with highs of 66–84°.
A year in Brighton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brighton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brighton’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Brighton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brighton’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Medora 1 S, IL, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brighton
82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL.
Living with Brighton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 19.
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 →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brighton from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brighton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brighton yet.
Climates most like Brighton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton, IL | 22° | 87° | 42" | 17" |
| Pleasant Hill, MO | 21° | 88° | 43" | 17" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Louisburg, KS | 21° | 88° | 41" | 14" |
| Reading, OH | 23° | 87° | 44" | 16" |
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 Brighton averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Brighton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brighton’s place among Illinois’.
Brighton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brighton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Medora 1 S, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 2.4" | 5.1" | 8 | 7 | 24° – 41° |
| February | 43° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.9" | 7 | 4 | 24° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 3.2" | 2.4" | 9 | 1 | 37° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 53° | 36° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 2.6" | 2.7" | 8 | 3 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 41.6" | 16.5" | 100 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Brighton’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 Brighton’s center.
- Snow: Medora 1 S, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL, 12 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 Brighton’s climate
What is the weather like in Brighton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brighton in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 118 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Brighton get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Medora 1 S, IL, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brighton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 68°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Brighton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 187 frost-free days, at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL.
What growing zone is Brighton in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brighton?
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 Brighton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brighton.
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.