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Climate in Dodds Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Dodds Township’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Less snow than 64% of U.S. towns#53Least snow  of 712 in IL
Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns#39Mildest winters  of 713 in IL
All IL rankings →

A year in Dodds Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan40°24° 3" snow
Feb45°27° 3" snow
Mar55°35°
Apr67°44° Last frost ~Apr 11
May76°55° Wettest
Jun84°64° 4 days 90°+
Jul87°67° 8 days 90°+
Aug86°64° 7 days 90°+
Sep80°57° 2 days 90°+
Oct69°45° First frost ~Oct 22
Nov now55°36°
Dec44°27°

What stands out about Dodds Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dodds Township’s place in Illinois beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Dodds Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
43° / 26°
4 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
66° / 45°
Last frost around Apr 11
Summer
86° / 65°
21 days reach 90°
Fall
68° / 46°
First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 193 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

108
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
155th fewest of 713 in Illinois
Fewer freezing nights than 55% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
595th most of 713 in Illinois
More nights at or below 0° than 56% of U.S. towns
21
days that reach 90°
348th most of 713 in Illinois
More 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
226th most of 713 in Illinois
More 100° days than 62% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Dodds Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

26
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 10 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.

46"
Rain + melted snow a year
41st wettest of 713 in Illinois
Wetter than 63% of U.S. towns
10"
Snow in a normal winter
53rd least snowy of 712 in Illinois
Less snow than 64% of U.S. towns
11 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
3rd fewest of 565 in Illinois
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 60% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Dodds Township

81% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

4,998 heating degree daysLess heating than 57% of U.S. towns
1,191 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 64% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.

Living here

Living with Dodds Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 22.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dodds Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Dodds Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Dodds Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Blissville Township: January low 23°, July high 88°Elk Prairie Township: January low 24°, July high 88°Shiloh Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Field Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Webber Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Farrington Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Ewing Township: January low 24°, July high 88°Moores Prairie Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Northern Township: January low 24°, July high 88°Four Mile Township: January low 24°, July high 88°Dahlgren Township: January low 24°, July high 88°McClellan Township: January low 23°, July high 88°Mount Vernon Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Spring Garden Township: January low 24°, July high 88°Pendleton Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Mount Vernon: January low 23°, July high 87°Dodds Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Dodds TownshipMcClellan TownshipMount Vernon TownshipSpring Garden TownshipPendleton TownshipMount Vernon
ColderMilder23° to 24°
Mount Vernon Township23.2° about the same
Mount Vernon23.3° about the same
McClellan Township23.4° about the same
Dodds Township23.5°
Pendleton Township23.6° about the same
Spring Garden Township23.8° about the same

Climates most like Dodds 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Dodds Township, IL24°87°46"10"
Pea Ridge, WV25°87°45"9.6"
Lebanon, MO23°88°45"8.3"
Collegeville, PA23°88°47"13"
Millville, NJ25°87°46"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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Dodds Township averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).

+0.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.6°now 34°, was 33°
Spring+0.8°now 55°, was 55°
Summer−0.2°now 76°, was 76°
Fall+0.2°now 57°, was 57°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Dodds Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dodds Township’s place among Illinois’.

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns105th hottest of 713 in Illinois
Winter cold24° January low
Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns39th mildest of 713 in Illinois
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 63% of U.S. towns41st wettest of 713 in Illinois
Snow10" a winter
Less snow than 64% of U.S. towns53rd least snowy of 712 in Illinois
Hot days21 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns348th most of 713 in Illinois
Freezing nights108 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 55% of U.S. towns155th fewest of 713 in Illinois
Growing season193 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 61% of U.S. towns133rd longest of 713 in Illinois
Month by month

Dodds Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dodds Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January40°24°3.1"3.2"9526° – 42°
February45°27°2.7"3.1"8325° – 45°
March55°35°4.0"1.0"11138° – 58°
April67°44°4.9"0.0"11049° – 61°
May76°55°5.2"0.0"13061° – 72°
June84°64°4.7"0.0"10069° – 78°
July87°67°4.0"0.0"9071° – 84°
August86°64°3.5"0.0"8071° – 82°
September80°57°3.2"0.0"8064° – 75°
October69°45°3.4"0.2"9052° – 62°
November55°36°4.0"0.4"9038° – 51°
December44°27°3.0"2.5"10221° – 45°
Year66°45°45.7"10.4"11511
Year to year

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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Dodds 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 Dodds Township’s center.
  • Snow: Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, 7 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 Dodds Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Dodds Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Dodds Township in winter?

January nights average 24°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.

How much snow does Dodds Township get?

About 10 inches in a normal winter at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.

How hot does it get in Dodds Township?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL).

When is the first and last frost in Dodds Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 193 frost-free days, at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.

What growing zone is Dodds Township in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.

What is the best time of year to visit Dodds 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 Dodds Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dodds Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.