A middle-of-the-road climate: Keenes is close to most U.S. towns on every count
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 24°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in February. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 65% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 11; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Keenes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Keenes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Keenes’ place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Keenes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Keenes’ 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Keenes
81% 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 Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.
Living with Keenes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Keenes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Keenes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Keenes yet.
Climates most like Keenes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keenes, IL | 24° | 88° | 46" | 10" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
| Lebanon, MO | 23° | 88° | 45" | 8.3" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Lake of the Woods, VA | 25° | 88° | 44" | 11" |
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 Keenes averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Keenes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Keenes’ place among Illinois’.
Keenes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Keenes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 24° | 3.1" | 3.2" | 9 | 5 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 27° | 2.6" | 3.1" | 8 | 3 | 25° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 35° | 4.0" | 1.0" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.1" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 21° – 45° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 45.7" | 10.4" | 115 | 11 |
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 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Keenes’ 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 Keenes’ center.
- Snow: Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, 11 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 Keenes’ climate
What is the weather like in Keenes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Keenes in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Keenes get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Keenes?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Keenes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 193 frost-free days, at Mt Vernon 3 Ne, IL.
What growing zone is Keenes 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 Keenes?
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 Keenes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Keenes.
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.