January in Grand Rapids Township bites harder than in 82% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 70% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Long walks are most pleasant from May to June and August to October, when afternoons reach 64–83°.
A year in Grand Rapids Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grand Rapids Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grand Rapids Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Grand Rapids Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marseilles Lock, IL, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grand Rapids Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marseilles Lock, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grand Rapids Township
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Marseilles Lock, IL.
Living with Grand Rapids Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grand Rapids Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grand Rapids Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grand Rapids Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grand Rapids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Township, IL | 16° | 85° | 37" | 25" |
| Fairfield, IA | 14° | 85° | 38" | 22" |
| Defiance, OH | 19° | 85° | 37" | 24" |
| Auburn, IN | 17° | 84° | 38" | 30" |
| Tecumseh, MI | 17° | 84° | 34" | 26" |
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 Grand Rapids Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Grand Rapids Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grand Rapids Township’s place among Illinois’.
Grand Rapids Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grand Rapids Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marseilles Lock, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 2.0" | 8.4" | 11 | 15 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 1.8" | 7.3" | 10 | 11 | 15° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 2.4" | 2.9" | 11 | 4 | 30° – 54° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 21° | 2.0" | 5.3" | 11 | 9 | 14° – 39° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 37.4" | 25.0" | 124 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids Township’s center.
- Snow: Marseilles Lock, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marseilles Lock, IL, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Grand Rapids Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Grand Rapids Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grand Rapids Township in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Grand Rapids Township get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Marseilles Lock, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Grand Rapids Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Marseilles Lock, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Grand Rapids Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 171 frost-free days, at Marseilles Lock, IL.
What growing zone is Grand Rapids Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grand Rapids Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Grand Rapids Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grand Rapids 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.