Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY-SA 4.0The climate in Ste. Marie sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 13 to October 22.
A year in Ste. Marie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ste. Marie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ste. Marie’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Ste. Marie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by October 22. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newton 6 Sse, IL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Newton, IL, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ste. Marie’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ste Marie (river), IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ste. Marie
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Newton, IL.
Living with Ste. Marie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
190 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ste. Marie from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ste. Marie and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ste. Marie yet.
Climates most like Ste. Marie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ste. Marie, IL | 22° | 87° | 45" | 14" |
| Loveland, OH | 23° | 86° | 44" | 14" |
| Parkersburg, WV | 24° | 86° | 44" | 11" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Bright, IN | 22° | 85° | 45" | 16" |
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 Ste. Marie averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Ste. Marie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ste. Marie’s place among Illinois’.
Ste. Marie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ste. Marie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ste Marie (river), IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 3.1" | 5.4" | 9 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 43° | 25° | 2.4" | 2.7" | 8 | 21° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 3.5" | 1.1" | 9 | 36° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 70° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 7 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 9 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 3.0" | 4.2" | 9 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 45.0" | 14.2" | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ste. Marie’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 Ste. Marie’s center.
- Snow: Ste Marie (river), IL (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Newton, IL, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Newton 6 Sse, 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 Ste. Marie’s climate
What is the weather like in Ste. Marie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ste. Marie in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Ste. Marie get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Ste Marie (river), IL, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Ste. Marie?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Newton, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Ste. Marie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 190 frost-free days, at Newton, IL.
What growing zone is Ste. Marie in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ste. Marie?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ste. Marie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ste. Marie.
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.