Nights turn raw in Tower Lakes each January, colder than in 84% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 70% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 70–83°.
A year in Tower Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tower Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tower Lakes’ place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Tower Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tower Lakes’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tower Lakes
91% 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 Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL.
Living with Tower Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tower Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tower Lakes and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Tower Lakes in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Tower Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Lakes, IL | 15° | 83° | 38" | 43" |
| Southport, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Marshall, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 40" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
| 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 Tower Lakes averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 63% 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 Tower Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tower Lakes’ place among Illinois’.
Tower Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tower Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 1.8" | 11.0" | 10 | 18 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.8" | 12.8" | 10 | 16 | 14° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 5.3" | 11 | 6 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 31° – 48° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 2.1" | 9.7" | 11 | 12 | 15° – 38° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 37.5" | 43.1" | 128 | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Tower Lakes’ 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 Tower Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL, 4 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 Tower Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Tower Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tower Lakes in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Tower Lakes get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tower Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Tower Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 172 frost-free days, at Mundelein 4 Wsw, IL.
What growing zone is Tower Lakes in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tower Lakes?
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 Tower Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tower Lakes.
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.