Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMetropolis’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Metropolis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Metropolis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Metropolis’ place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Metropolis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 203 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brookport Dam 52, IL, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Metropolis’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Paducah, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Metropolis
74% 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 Brookport Dam 52, IL.
Living with Metropolis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 3.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Metropolis from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Metropolis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Metropolis yet.
Climates most like Metropolis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis, IL | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
| Cherokee Village, AR | 26° | 90° | 50" | 6.7" |
| Manchester, VA | 28° | 89° | 47" | 8.8" |
| Neosho, MO | 25° | 90° | 47" | 8.1" |
| Glasgow, KY | 26° | 89° | 53" | 5.7" |
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 Metropolis averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Metropolis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Metropolis’ place among Illinois’.
Metropolis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Metropolis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paducah, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.8" | 2.7" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 30° | 3.7" | 3.0" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 38° | 4.7" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 62° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.2" | 1.8" | 10 | 2 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 69° | 48° | 49.8" | 8.9" | 114 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Metropolis’ 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 Metropolis’ center.
- Snow: Paducah, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brookport Dam 52, IL, 2.4 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 Metropolis’ climate
What is the weather like in Metropolis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Metropolis in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Metropolis get?
About 8.9 inches in a normal winter at Paducah, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Metropolis?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 42 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Brookport Dam 52, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Metropolis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 203 frost-free days, at Brookport Dam 52, IL.
What growing zone is Metropolis in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Metropolis?
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 Metropolis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Metropolis.
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.