Joslin has colder winter nights than 86% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 69% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 20, with the first autumn frost due around October 20.
A year in Joslin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Joslin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Joslin’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Joslin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Geneseo, IL, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Joslin’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Geneseo, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Joslin
86% 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 Geneseo, IL.
Living with Joslin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
180 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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: May, June, August, September and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Joslin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Joslin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Joslin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Joslin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joslin, IL | 14° | 85° | 38" | 28" |
| Osceola, IA | 13° | 85° | 37" | 28" |
| Auburn, IN | 17° | 84° | 38" | 30" |
| Bryan, OH | 18° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Joslin averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Joslin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Joslin’s place among Illinois’.
Joslin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Joslin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Geneseo, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 1.5" | 9.8" | 8 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.7" | 6.1" | 7 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.5" | 2.8" | 9 | 31° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.7" | 11 | 42° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.4" | 1.6" | 8 | 32° – 49° |
| December | 36° | 20° | 2.0" | 7.3" | 8 | 13° – 38° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 37.7" | 28.4" | 108 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Joslin’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 Joslin’s center.
- Snow: Geneseo, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Geneseo, IL, 8 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 Joslin’s climate
What is the weather like in Joslin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Joslin in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 126 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 14°.
How much snow does Joslin get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Geneseo, IL, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Joslin?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Geneseo, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Joslin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 180 frost-free days, at Geneseo, IL.
What growing zone is Joslin 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 Joslin?
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 Joslin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Joslin.
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.