Lucein Boneparte Covell House · Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0January in Richmond bites harder than in 88% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Temperatures cover 69° across the year, low to high. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 72% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 69–83°.
A year in Richmond at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richmond’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richmond’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Richmond feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pell Lake, WI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richmond’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mc Henry -wg Stratton L&d, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Richmond
93% 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 Pell Lake, WI.
Living with Richmond’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 4.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richmond from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richmond and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Richmond yet.
Climates most like Richmond’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, IL | 14° | 83° | 37" | 35" |
| Grinnell, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 31" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
| Charlotte, MI | 17° | 82° | 36" | 38" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Richmond averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Richmond compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richmond’s place among Illinois’.
Richmond weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richmond’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Henry -wg Stratton L&d, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 14° | 1.7" | 11.0" | 10 | 20 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 8.9" | 8 | 16 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 3.9" | 9 | 6 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.7" | 1.0" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 2.4" | 1.4" | 8 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 2.0" | 8.2" | 9 | 11 | 14° – 38° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 36.7" | 34.5" | 119 | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Richmond’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 Richmond’s center.
- Snow: Mc Henry -wg Stratton L&d, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pell Lake, WI, 5 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 Richmond’s climate
What is the weather like in Richmond?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richmond in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Richmond get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Mc Henry -wg Stratton L&d, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in Richmond?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Pell Lake, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Richmond?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 164 frost-free days, at Pell Lake, WI.
What growing zone is Richmond in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richmond?
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 Richmond getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richmond.
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.