Summers, winters and rain in Prairie Township all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 65% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.9°, most of all in December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Prairie Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prairie Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prairie Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Prairie Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paris Stp, IL, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prairie Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Perrysville 4 Wnw, IN, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Prairie Township
86% 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 Paris Stp, IL.
Living with Prairie Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prairie Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prairie Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Prairie Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Prairie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Township, IL | 19° | 85° | 42" | 19" |
| Westerville, OH | 21° | 85° | 42" | 19" |
| Kirksville, MO | 17° | 86° | 41" | 19" |
| Monaca, PA | 21° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
| Keokuk, IA | 18° | 86° | 40" | 23" |
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 Prairie Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Prairie Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prairie Township’s place among Illinois’.
Prairie Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prairie Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Perrysville 4 Wnw, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 2.7" | 5.6" | 9 | 11 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 2.2" | 5.2" | 9 | 7 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 2.8" | 4.5" | 10 | 6 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 41.7" | 19.2" | 118 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Prairie 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 Prairie Township’s center.
- Snow: Perrysville 4 Wnw, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paris Stp, IL, 15 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 Prairie Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Prairie Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prairie Township in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 116 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Prairie Township get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Perrysville 4 Wnw, IN, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Prairie Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Paris Stp, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Prairie Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Paris Stp, IL.
What growing zone is Prairie Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Prairie Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Prairie Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prairie 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.