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Climate in Piasa Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Piasa Township sits near the middle of U.S. towns

In July the day’s top temperature is typically 88°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 65% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.8° higher. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.

Less snow than 57% of U.S. towns#202Least snow  of 712 in IL
Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns#116Mildest winters  of 713 in IL
All IL rankings →

A year in Piasa Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°22° 5" snow
Feb43°26° 5" snow
Mar54°34°
Apr66°44° Last frost ~Apr 14
May76°55° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Jun84°64° 6 days 90°+
Jul88°68° 11 days 90°+
Aug86°66° 8 days 90°+
Sep80°58° 4 days 90°+
Oct68°46° First frost ~Oct 19
Nov now54°35°
Dec43°27°

What stands out about Piasa Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Piasa Township’s place in Illinois beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Piasa Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 25°
5 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
66° / 45°
Last frost around Apr 14
Summer
86° / 66°
29 days reach 90°
Fall
67° / 46°
First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 187 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

118
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
482nd most of 713 in Illinois
More freezing nights than 53% of U.S. towns
4
nights at or below 0°
542nd most of 713 in Illinois
More nights at or below 0° than 64% of U.S. towns
29
days that reach 90°
166th most of 713 in Illinois
More 90° days than 62% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
226th most of 713 in Illinois
More 100° days than 62% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Piasa Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

27
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

11
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 17 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Medora 1 S, IL, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.

41"
Rain + melted snow a year
561st driest of 713 in Illinois
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns
17"
Snow in a normal winter
202nd least snowy of 712 in Illinois
Less snow than 57% of U.S. towns
16 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
77th fewest of 565 in Illinois
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 55% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

5"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Piasa Township

82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

5,348 heating degree daysMore heating than 51% of U.S. towns
1,152 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 62% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL.

Living here

Living with Piasa Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 19.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Piasa Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 41%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Piasa Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Piasa Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Elsah Township: January low 22°, July high 88°Jersey Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Otter Creek Township: January low 21°, July high 88°Foster Township: January low 22°, July high 87°Bunker Hill Township: January low 22°, July high 87°Shipman Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Alton: January low 23°, July high 88°Alton Township: January low 23°, July high 88°West Alton: January low 23°, July high 88°Ruyle Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Chesterfield Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Mississippi Township: January low 22°, July high 87°Brighton Township: January low 22°, July high 87°Godfrey: January low 23°, July high 88°Fidelity Township: January low 21°, July high 87°Piasa Township: January low 22°, July high 88°Piasa TownshipMississippi TownshipBrighton TownshipGodfreyFidelity Township
ColderMilder21° to 23°
Fidelity Township21.2° about the same
Mississippi Township21.5° about the same
Brighton Township21.5° about the same
Piasa Township22.0°
Godfrey22.5° about the same

Climates most like Piasa 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Piasa Township, IL22°88°41"17"
Louisburg, KS21°88°41"14"
Greenwood, MO20°88°42"17"
Terre Haute, IN21°87°43"15"
Front Royal, VA24°87°41"21"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Piasa Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).

+0.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.7°now 33°, was 31°
Spring+1.1°now 55°, was 54°
Summer+0.2°now 76°, was 76°
Fall+0.4°now 57°, was 56°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Piasa Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Piasa Township’s place among Illinois’.

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns98th hottest of 713 in Illinois
Winter cold22° January low
Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns116th mildest of 713 in Illinois
Precipitation41" a year
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns561st driest of 713 in Illinois
Snow17" a winter
Less snow than 57% of U.S. towns202nd least snowy of 712 in Illinois
Hot days29 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 62% of U.S. towns166th most of 713 in Illinois
Freezing nights118 a year
More freezing nights than 53% of U.S. towns482nd most of 713 in Illinois
Growing season187 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 52% of U.S. towns307th longest of 713 in Illinois
Month by month

Piasa Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Piasa Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Medora 1 S, IL. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°22°2.4"5.1"8724° – 41°
February43°26°2.2"4.9"7424° – 44°
March54°34°3.1"2.4"9137° – 58°
April66°44°4.5"0.2"10048° – 61°
May76°55°5.0"0.0"12060° – 73°
June84°64°4.2"0.0"8069° – 78°
July88°68°3.9"0.0"7073° – 85°
August86°66°3.6"0.0"8070° – 82°
September80°58°3.3"0.0"7064° – 75°
October68°46°3.2"0.0"8052° – 63°
November54°35°3.3"1.2"8137° – 52°
December43°27°2.5"2.7"8321° – 43°
Year65°45°41.2"16.5"10016
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Piasa 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 Piasa Township’s center.
  • Snow: Medora 1 S, IL.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL, 9 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 Piasa Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Piasa Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Piasa Township in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 118 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 24°.

How much snow does Piasa Township get?

About 17 inches in a normal winter at Medora 1 S, IL, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.

How hot does it get in Piasa Township?

July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL).

When is the first and last frost in Piasa Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 187 frost-free days, at Jerseyville 2 Sw, IL.

What growing zone is Piasa Township in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.

What is the best time of year to visit Piasa 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 Piasa Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Piasa Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.