Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0Makanda gets more rain and snow than 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 63°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 66% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 9; autumn frost returns near October 22.
A year in Makanda at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Makanda’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Makanda’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Makanda feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Makanda’s center in zone 7a: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Makanda
77% 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 Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL.
Living with Makanda’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
195 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Makanda from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Makanda and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Makanda in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Makanda’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makanda, IL | 24° | 88° | 49" | 11" |
| Shively, KY | 25° | 88° | 49" | 13" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Aurora, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 12" |
| Scottsburg, IN | 23° | 87° | 48" | 12" |
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 Makanda averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Makanda compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Makanda’s place among Illinois’.
Makanda weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Makanda’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 24° | 3.4" | 3.2" | 10 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.2" | 4.0" | 9 | 25° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 4.5" | 1.3" | 12 | 40° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 9 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 3.7" | 2.7" | 11 | 24° – 46° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 48.6" | 11.4" | 121 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Makanda’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 Makanda’s center.
- Snow: Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Makanda’s climate
What is the weather like in Makanda?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Makanda in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 103 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 27°.
How much snow does Makanda get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Makanda?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Makanda?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 195 frost-free days, at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL.
What growing zone is Makanda in?
Zone 7a 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 Makanda?
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 Makanda getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Makanda.
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.