Photo: AlphaBeta135 · CC BY 4.0Summer arrives softly in Knollwood, cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 17°. The wettest month is June; the driest is February. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 78% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–82°.
A year in Knollwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Knollwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Knollwood’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Knollwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waukegan, IL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Knollwood’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chicago Botanic Garden, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Knollwood
91% 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 Waukegan, IL.
Living with Knollwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Knollwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Knollwood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Knollwood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Knollwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knollwood, IL | 17° | 82° | 37" | 34" |
| Charlotte, MI | 17° | 82° | 36" | 38" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Garrett, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 30" |
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 Knollwood averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Knollwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Knollwood’s place among Illinois’.
Knollwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Knollwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chicago Botanic Garden, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 1.9" | 11.3" | 11 | 20 | 14° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 1.8" | 7.7" | 9 | 14 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 45° | 28° | 2.2" | 5.6" | 10 | 7 | 29° – 51° |
| April | 56° | 38° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.9" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.0" | 5.9" | 11 | 10 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 40° | 37.0" | 33.6" | 130 | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Knollwood’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 Knollwood’s center.
- Snow: Chicago Botanic Garden, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waukegan, IL, 4 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 Knollwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Knollwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Knollwood in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 133 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 Knollwood get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Chicago Botanic Garden, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 53 days a year.
How hot does it get in Knollwood?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Waukegan, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Knollwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 170 frost-free days, at Waukegan, IL.
What growing zone is Knollwood in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Knollwood?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Knollwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Knollwood.
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.