The climate in Florence sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. The wettest month is June; the driest is February. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 66% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Florence at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Florence’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Florence’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Florence 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 18 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winchester, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Florence’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pittsfield #2, IL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Florence
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Winchester, IL.
Living with Florence’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Florence from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Florence and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Florence in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Florence’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, IL | 19° | 87° | 38" | 16" |
| Smithville, MO | 20° | 88° | 39" | 18" |
| Atchison, KS | 19° | 88° | 37" | 17" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
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 Florence averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Florence compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Florence’s place among Illinois’.
Florence weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Florence’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pittsfield #2, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | 2.1" | 4.0" | 6 | 10 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 1.9" | 5.1" | 7 | 7 | 21° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 2.7" | 1.7" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 2.8" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 2.1" | 3.4" | 7 | 5 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 38.4" | 15.6" | 102 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Florence’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 Florence’s center.
- Snow: Pittsfield #2, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winchester, 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 Florence’s climate
What is the weather like in Florence?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Florence in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Florence get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Pittsfield #2, IL, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Florence?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Winchester, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Florence?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 183 frost-free days, at Winchester, IL.
What growing zone is Florence in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Florence?
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 Florence getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Florence.
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.