Harter Township’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Harter Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harter Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harter Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Harter Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Flora, IL, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harter Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 Flora 5 Nw, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harter Township
79% 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 Flora, IL.
Living with Harter Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
198 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 4.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harter Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harter Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Harter Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Harter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harter Township, IL | 22° | 87° | 47" | 8.3" |
| Audubon, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
| Lebanon, MO | 23° | 88° | 45" | 8.3" |
| Maysville, KY | 23° | 86° | 48" | 8.8" |
| Huntington, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 10" |
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 Harter Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Harter Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harter Township’s place among Illinois’.
Harter Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harter Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flora 5 Nw, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 3.3" | 3.1" | 8 | 5 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 7 | 3 | 23° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 59° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.1" | 1.7" | 8 | 3 | 20° – 44° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 46.5" | 8.3" | 96 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Harter 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 Harter Township’s center.
- Snow: Flora 5 Nw, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Flora, IL, 3 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 Harter Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Harter Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harter Township in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 109 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 23°.
How much snow does Harter Township get?
About 8.3 inches in a normal winter at Flora 5 Nw, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Harter Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Flora, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Harter Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 198 frost-free days, at Flora, IL.
What growing zone is Harter Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Harter 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 Harter Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Harter 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.