Summers, winters and rain in North Otter Township all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 62% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 7, with the first autumn frost due around October 29.
A year in North Otter Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Otter Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Otter Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in North Otter Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Virden, IL, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Otter Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Virden, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Otter Township
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Virden, IL.
Living with North Otter Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Otter Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Otter Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of North Otter Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like North Otter Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Otter Township, IL | 20° | 86° | 40" | 16" |
| Excelsior Springs, MO | 19° | 87° | 40" | 19" |
| Dayton, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 12" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
| Spring Hill, KS | 21° | 88° | 40" | 14" |
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 North Otter Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 North Otter Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Otter Township’s place among Illinois’.
North Otter Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Otter Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Virden, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 2.3" | 6.7" | 6 | 11 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 24° | 2.0" | 3.1" | 5 | 5 | 21° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 2.9" | 2.3" | 7 | 2 | 35° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.7" | 7 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 2.2" | 3.3" | 6 | 5 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 39.5" | 16.1" | 84 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where North Otter Township’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 North Otter Township’s center.
- Snow: Virden, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Virden, IL, 6 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 North Otter Township’s climate
What is the weather like in North Otter Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Otter Township in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 101 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 22°.
How much snow does North Otter Township get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Virden, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Otter Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Virden, IL).
When is the first and last frost in North Otter Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 205 frost-free days, at Virden, IL.
What growing zone is North Otter Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Otter Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is North Otter Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Otter Township.
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.