Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0Nights turn raw in Bureau Junction each January, colder than in 84% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in February. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 71% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 24; in half of years the first frost comes by October 17.
A year in Bureau Junction at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bureau Junction’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bureau Junction’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Bureau Junction feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 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 Hennepin Wtr Trmt Plt, IL, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bureau Junction’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Princeton, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bureau Junction
86% 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 Hennepin Wtr Trmt Plt, IL.
Living with Bureau Junction’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 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. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bureau Junction from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bureau Junction and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bureau Junction yet.
Climates most like Bureau Junction’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau Junction, IL | 15° | 85° | 37" | 29" |
| Knoxville, IA | 14° | 85° | 37" | 30" |
| Bryan, OH | 18° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
| Auburn, IN | 17° | 84° | 38" | 30" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Bureau Junction averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Bureau Junction compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bureau Junction’s place among Illinois’.
Bureau Junction weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bureau Junction’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Princeton, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 15° | 1.8" | 8.6" | 8 | 17 | 14° – 35° |
| February | 36° | 19° | 1.7" | 6.9" | 8 | 12 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 2.5" | 3.7" | 8 | 4 | 30° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 2.5" | 1.3" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 21° | 2.0" | 6.8" | 8 | 9 | 15° – 38° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 37.2" | 28.5" | 103 | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 54°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bureau Junction’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 Bureau Junction’s center.
- Snow: Princeton, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hennepin Wtr Trmt Plt, IL, 2.4 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 Bureau Junction’s climate
What is the weather like in Bureau Junction?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bureau Junction in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Bureau Junction get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Princeton, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 43 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bureau Junction?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Hennepin Wtr Trmt Plt, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Bureau Junction?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 174 frost-free days, at Hennepin Wtr Trmt Plt, IL.
What growing zone is Bureau Junction in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bureau Junction?
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 Bureau Junction getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bureau Junction.
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.