More precipitation falls on Cave Township than on 78% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. April is the wettest month, February the driest. Its July heat outdoes that of 65% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 68–81°.
A year in Cave Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cave Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cave Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Cave Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benton 2 N, IL, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cave Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mcleansboro, IL, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cave Township
76% 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 Benton 2 N, IL.
Living with Cave Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cave Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cave Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cave Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cave Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Township, IL | 24° | 88° | 48" | 13" |
| Shively, KY | 25° | 88° | 49" | 13" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Scottsburg, IN | 23° | 87° | 48" | 12" |
| Claymont, DE | 25° | 87° | 47" | 12" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cave Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Cave Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cave Township’s place among Illinois’.
Cave Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cave Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcleansboro, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.3" | 3.7" | 11 | 6 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.2" | 3.3" | 9 | 3 | 25° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 4.5" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 3.5" | 3.4" | 12 | 4 | 23° – 46° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 48.4" | 13.3" | 121 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Cave Township’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 Cave Township’s center.
- Snow: Mcleansboro, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benton 2 N, 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 Cave Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Cave Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cave Township in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 93 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Cave Township get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Mcleansboro, IL, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cave Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Benton 2 N, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Cave Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 206 frost-free days, at Benton 2 N, IL.
What growing zone is Cave Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cave Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cave Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cave Township.
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.