Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0Nights turn raw in Danforth each January, colder than in 76% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 85°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.3° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season runs from May to June and August to October, with highs of 66–83°.
A year in Danforth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Danforth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Danforth’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Danforth 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 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Watseka 2 Nw, IL, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Danforth’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 Watseka 2 Nw, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June 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 Danforth
87% 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 Watseka 2 Nw, IL.
Living with Danforth’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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Danforth from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Danforth and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Danforth yet.
Climates most like Danforth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danforth, IL | 17° | 85° | 39" | 17" |
| Van Wert, OH | 19° | 84° | 39" | 17" |
| Burlington, IA | 16° | 86° | 38" | 22" |
| Kirksville, MO | 17° | 86° | 41" | 19" |
| Monaca, PA | 21° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
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 Danforth averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Danforth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Danforth’s place among Illinois’.
Danforth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Danforth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Watseka 2 Nw, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 2.2" | 5.4" | 10 | 15° – 38° |
| February | 38° | 21° | 1.9" | 4.7" | 8 | 16° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 2.5" | 1.6" | 10 | 32° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 12 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 60° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 2.8" | 0.7" | 10 | 33° – 49° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 2.2" | 4.4" | 10 | 16° – 41° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 38.9" | 17.1" | 121 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Danforth’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 Danforth’s center.
- Snow: Watseka 2 Nw, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Watseka 2 Nw, 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 Danforth’s climate
What is the weather like in Danforth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Danforth in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 133 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 15°.
How much snow does Danforth get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Watseka 2 Nw, IL, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Danforth?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Watseka 2 Nw, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Danforth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 174 frost-free days, at Watseka 2 Nw, IL.
What growing zone is Danforth in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Danforth?
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 Danforth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Danforth.
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.