Photo: AlphaBeta135 · CC BY 4.0Midwinter lows in South Elgin sink below those of 86% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 68% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 62–84°.
A year in South Elgin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Elgin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Elgin’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in South Elgin 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, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Elgin’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 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; May 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 South Elgin
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 South Elgin’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, September and October. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Elgin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Elgin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Elgin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Elgin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Elgin, IL | 15° | 84° | 38" | 32" |
| Garrett, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 30" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| North Liberty, IA | 12° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
| Bryan, OH | 18° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
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 South Elgin averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 South Elgin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Elgin’s place among Illinois’.
South Elgin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Elgin’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 | 30° | 15° | 1.8" | 9.5" | 10 | 17 | 13° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.8" | 8.0" | 8 | 13 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.7" | 10 | 4 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 10 | 1 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 35° | 20° | 2.0" | 8.7" | 10 | 9 | 15° – 38° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 38.0" | 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 14° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where South Elgin’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 South Elgin’s center.
- Snow: Elgin, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elgin, IL, 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 South Elgin’s climate
What is the weather like in South Elgin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Elgin in winter?
January nights average 15°. 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 13°.
How much snow does South Elgin 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 South Elgin?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Elgin, IL).
When is the first and last frost in South Elgin?
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 South Elgin 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 South Elgin?
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 South Elgin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Elgin.
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.