In Ora Township, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 88°. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 68% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 9 to October 22.
A year in Ora Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ora Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ora Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Ora Township 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 Southern Il Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ora Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Murphysboro 2 Sw, IL, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ora Township
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 Southern Il Airport.
Living with Ora Township’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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ora Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ora Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ora Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ora 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ora Township, IL | 24° | 88° | 46" | 9.9" |
| Aurora, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 12" |
| Pea Ridge, WV | 25° | 87° | 45" | 9.6" |
| Phoenixville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 7.6" |
| Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA | 25° | 88° | 44" | 11" |
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 Ora Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
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 Ora Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ora Township’s place among Illinois’.
Ora Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ora Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Murphysboro 2 Sw, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.0" | 3.2" | 7 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 2.8" | 1.9" | 8 | 25° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 10 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 3.2" | 4.0" | 8 | 22° – 46° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 46.0" | 9.9" | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ora 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 Ora Township’s center.
- Snow: Murphysboro 2 Sw, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carbondale Southern Il Airport, 13 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 Ora Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ora Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ora Township in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 95 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Ora Township get?
About 9.9 inches in a normal winter at Murphysboro 2 Sw, IL, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Ora Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Carbondale Southern Il Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Ora Township?
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 Southern Il Airport.
What growing zone is Ora Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ora Township?
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 Ora Township 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 Ora 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.