Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Ursa Township sits near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. Its January nights bite harder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Garden planting can start around April 11; autumn frost returns near October 23.
A year in Ursa Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ursa Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ursa Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Ursa Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 194 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Canton L&d 20, MO, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ursa Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bentley, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ursa Township
85% 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 Canton L&d 20, MO.
Living with Ursa Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
194 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ursa Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (27%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ursa Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ursa Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ursa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ursa Township, IL | 18° | 87° | 39" | 23" |
| St. Joseph, MO | 18° | 87° | 37" | 21" |
| Lock Haven, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
| Atchison, KS | 19° | 88° | 37" | 17" |
| Martinsburg, WV | 23° | 87° | 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 Ursa Township averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Ursa Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ursa Township’s place among Illinois’.
Ursa Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ursa Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bentley, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 1.7" | 7.6" | 8 | 15 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 1.8" | 6.3" | 7 | 8 | 19° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.5" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 54° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.2" | 8 | 6 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 39.0" | 23.1" | 106 | 32 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ursa 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 Ursa Township’s center.
- Snow: Bentley, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canton L&d 20, MO, 7 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 Ursa Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ursa Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ursa Township in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Ursa Township get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Bentley, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 32 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ursa Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Canton L&d 20, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Ursa Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 194 frost-free days, at Canton L&d 20, MO.
What growing zone is Ursa Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ursa 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 Ursa Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ursa 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.