Photo: Jonoloier · Public domainJanuary in Pingree Grove bites harder than in 87% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 69° apart. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 68% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Pingree Grove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pingree Grove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pingree Grove’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Pingree Grove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elgin, IL, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pingree Grove’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 32 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elgin, IL, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January 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 Pingree Grove
89% 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 Elgin, IL.
Living with Pingree Grove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pingree Grove from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pingree Grove and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pingree Grove in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pingree Grove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pingree Grove, IL | 14° | 83° | 38" | 32" |
| Grinnell, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 31" |
| Garrett, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 30" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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 Pingree Grove averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Pingree Grove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pingree Grove’s place among Illinois’.
Pingree Grove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pingree Grove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elgin, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 14° | 1.8" | 9.5" | 10 | 17 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 1.8" | 8.0" | 8 | 13 | 13° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.7" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 2.1" | 8.7" | 10 | 9 | 14° – 38° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 38.4" | 32.1" | 124 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Pingree Grove’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 Pingree Grove’s center.
- Snow: Elgin, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elgin, IL, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Pingree Grove’s climate
What is the weather like in Pingree Grove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pingree Grove in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Pingree Grove get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Elgin, IL, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pingree Grove?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Elgin, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Pingree Grove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 174 frost-free days, at Elgin, IL.
What growing zone is Pingree Grove in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pingree Grove?
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 Pingree Grove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pingree Grove.
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.