Nights turn raw in Pleasant Valley Township each January, colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 65% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 2 to October 7.
A year in Pleasant Valley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pleasant Valley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pleasant Valley Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Pleasant Valley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Carroll, IL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pleasant Valley Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elizabeth, IL, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pleasant Valley Township
90% 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 Mt Carroll, IL.
Living with Pleasant Valley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pleasant Valley Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pleasant Valley Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pleasant Valley Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pleasant Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley Township, IL | 12° | 84° | 39" | 30" |
| Nevada, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 27" |
| Lakes of the Four Seasons, IN | 16° | 83° | 40" | 27" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Pleasant Valley Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Pleasant Valley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pleasant Valley Township’s place among Illinois’.
Pleasant Valley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pleasant Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elizabeth, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 12° | 1.5" | 8.4" | 9 | 20 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 1.7" | 8.1" | 8 | 16 | 11° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.5" | 9 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 2.4" | 1.9" | 8 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 34° | 19° | 1.9" | 6.9" | 9 | 12 | 12° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 38.6" | 30.2" | 114 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Pleasant Valley 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 Pleasant Valley Township’s center.
- Snow: Elizabeth, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Carroll, IL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Pleasant Valley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Pleasant Valley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pleasant Valley Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Pleasant Valley Township get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Elizabeth, IL, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pleasant Valley Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Mt Carroll, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Pleasant Valley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 154 frost-free days, at Mt Carroll, IL.
What growing zone is Pleasant Valley Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pleasant Valley Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pleasant Valley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pleasant Valley 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.