Gladstone’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Gladstone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gladstone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gladstone’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Gladstone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gladstone Dam 18, IL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gladstone’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 Gladstone Dam 18, IL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gladstone
84% of the work is heating. 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 Gladstone Dam 18, IL.
Living with Gladstone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gladstone from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gladstone and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gladstone yet.
Climates most like Gladstone’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladstone, IL | 15° | 85° | 38" | 17" |
| Clarinda, IA | 14° | 86° | 36" | 23" |
| Van Wert, OH | 19° | 84° | 39" | 17" |
| West Lafayette, IN | 18° | 84° | 40" | 19" |
| Savannah, MO | 18° | 87° | 37" | 21" |
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 Gladstone averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
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 Gladstone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gladstone’s place among Illinois’.
Gladstone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gladstone’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gladstone Dam 18, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 15° | 1.6" | 4.9" | 7 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 1.8" | 6.3" | 7 | 15° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 2.5" | 1.8" | 8 | 32° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 10 | 43° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 79° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 60° – 71° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 8 | 32° – 50° |
| December | 37° | 21° | 1.9" | 3.2" | 7 | 14° – 38° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 37.8" | 16.9" | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gladstone’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 Gladstone’s center.
- Snow: Gladstone Dam 18, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gladstone Dam 18, IL, 4 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 Gladstone’s climate
What is the weather like in Gladstone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gladstone in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Gladstone get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Gladstone Dam 18, IL, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Gladstone?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Gladstone Dam 18, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Gladstone?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 202 frost-free days, at Gladstone Dam 18, IL.
What growing zone is Gladstone in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gladstone?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gladstone 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 Gladstone.
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.