Midwinter lows in Nora sink below those of 92% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. June is the wettest month here, with about 4.0 times the rain of January. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 77% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Nora at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nora’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nora’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Nora feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stockton 3 Nne, IL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nora’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stockton 3 Nne, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nora
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 Stockton 3 Nne, IL.
Living with Nora’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nora from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nora and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nora yet.
Climates most like Nora’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nora, IL | 11° | 82° | 39" | 36" |
| Grinnell, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 31" |
| Westville, IN | 16° | 83° | 39" | 34" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
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 Nora averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Nora compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nora’s place among Illinois’.
Nora weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nora’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stockton 3 Nne, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.4" | 10.7" | 9 | 21 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 1.6" | 8.1" | 8 | 16 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.3" | 4.9" | 10 | 6 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.9" | 1.3" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.4" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 47° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.9" | 8.0" | 10 | 13 | 11° – 36° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 39.3" | 35.7" | 118 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Nora’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 Nora’s center.
- Snow: Stockton 3 Nne, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stockton 3 Nne, IL, 5 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 Nora’s climate
What is the weather like in Nora?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nora in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Nora get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Stockton 3 Nne, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in Nora?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Stockton 3 Nne, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Nora?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 165 frost-free days, at Stockton 3 Nne, IL.
What growing zone is Nora in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nora?
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 Nora getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nora.
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.