Winter nights in Orland Hills are colder than in 78% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 62% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Orland Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orland Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orland Hills’ place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Orland Hills 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 10 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chicago Midway Airport 3sw, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orland Hills’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Park Forest, 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 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orland Hills
83% of the work is heating. 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 Chicago Midway Airport 3sw.
Living with Orland Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 35% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orland Hills from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orland Hills and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Orland Hills in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Orland Hills’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orland Hills, IL | 17° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Decatur, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Bryan, OH | 18° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
| Mount Pleasant, IA | 15° | 85° | 38" | 25" |
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 Orland Hills averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Orland Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orland Hills’ place among Illinois’.
Orland Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orland Hills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Park Forest, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.2" | 10.2" | 11 | 18 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 1.9" | 7.5" | 9 | 13 | 16° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 29° | 2.5" | 4.9" | 10 | 5 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 60° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| September | 76° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 2.7" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 49° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 2.2" | 4.0" | 11 | 9 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 39.5" | 28.2" | 124 | 46 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Orland Hills’ 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 Orland Hills’ center.
- Snow: Park Forest, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chicago Midway Airport 3sw, 11 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 Orland Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Orland Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orland Hills in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Orland Hills get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Park Forest, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 46 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orland Hills?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Chicago Midway Airport 3sw).
When is the first and last frost in Orland Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 203 frost-free days, at Chicago Midway Airport 3sw.
What growing zone is Orland Hills in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orland Hills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orland Hills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orland Hills.
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.