Summers, winters and rain in Emma Township all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 88°. The wettest month is April; the driest is February. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 69% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Emma Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Emma Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Emma Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Emma Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carmi 3, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Emma Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mt Vernon, IN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Emma Township
80% 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 Carmi 3, IL.
Living with Emma Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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, September and October. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Emma Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Emma Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Emma Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Emma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Township, IL | 25° | 88° | 47" | 8.4" |
| Monett, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 6.7" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
| Collinsville, VA | 27° | 88° | 46" | 9.4" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
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 Emma Township averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Emma Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Emma Township’s place among Illinois’.
Emma Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Emma Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Vernon, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.4" | 2.4" | 9 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.1" | 3.1" | 8 | 26° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 4.4" | 1.5" | 10 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 72° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 7 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 10 | 24° – 46° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 46.8" | 8.4" | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Emma 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 Emma Township’s center.
- Snow: Mt Vernon, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carmi 3, IL, 9 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 Emma Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Emma Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Emma Township in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Emma Township get?
About 8.4 inches in a normal winter at Mt Vernon, IN, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Emma Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° (Carmi 3, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Emma Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 183 frost-free days, at Carmi 3, IL.
What growing zone is Emma Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Emma 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 Emma Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Emma 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.