Godfrey, Benjamin, Memorial Chapel · Photo: Joseph T. Golabowski · Public domainNeither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Godfrey sits near the middle of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 23°. Only 65° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its July heat outdoes that of 65% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Godfrey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Godfrey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Godfrey’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Godfrey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 214 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL, 7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Godfrey’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at St Charles Elm Pt, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Godfrey
77% 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 Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL.
Living with Godfrey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
214 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Godfrey from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Godfrey and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Godfrey in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Godfrey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godfrey, IL | 23° | 88° | 42" | 9.0" |
| Belton, MO | 21° | 88° | 42" | 8.6" |
| Hamilton, OH | 22° | 87° | 43" | 9.7" |
| Mission, KS | 21° | 88° | 40" | 11" |
| Flatwoods, KY | 24° | 87° | 44" | 6.6" |
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 Godfrey averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Godfrey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Godfrey’s place among Illinois’.
Godfrey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Godfrey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from St Charles Elm Pt, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 23° | 2.4" | 4.3" | 8 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.2" | 2.6" | 7 | 25° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.5" | 10 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 54° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 2.5" | 1.5" | 7 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 65° | 46° | 41.6" | 9.0" | 101 |
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 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Godfrey’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 Godfrey’s center.
- Snow: St Charles Elm Pt, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL, 7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower; 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 Godfrey’s climate
What is the weather like in Godfrey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Godfrey in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 85 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Godfrey get?
About 9.0 inches in a normal winter at St Charles Elm Pt, MO, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Godfrey?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Godfrey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 214 frost-free days, at Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL.
What growing zone is Godfrey in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Godfrey?
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 Godfrey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Godfrey.
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.