Charles Wenner House · Photo: Brianmc52 · CC BY-SA 3.0Vinegar Hill Township has colder winter nights than 91% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 83°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 73% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 26 to October 15.
A year in Vinegar Hill Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vinegar Hill Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vinegar Hill Township’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Vinegar Hill Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Galena, IL, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vinegar Hill Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cuba City, WI, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vinegar Hill Township
92% 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 Galena, IL.
Living with Vinegar Hill Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vinegar Hill Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vinegar Hill Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Vinegar Hill Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Vinegar Hill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinegar Hill Township, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 40" |
| Boone, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 36" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Westville, IN | 16° | 83° | 39" | 34" |
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 Vinegar Hill Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Vinegar Hill Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vinegar Hill Township’s place among Illinois’.
Vinegar Hill Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vinegar Hill Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuba City, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 12° | 1.3" | 10.0" | 8 | 18 | 10° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.5" | 11.5" | 8 | 17 | 10° – 37° |
| March | 45° | 27° | 2.2" | 4.7" | 9 | 7 | 28° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.3" | 1.7" | 7 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.7" | 10.1" | 8 | 13 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 38.4" | 39.6" | 113 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Vinegar Hill 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 Vinegar Hill Township’s center.
- Snow: Cuba City, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Galena, IL, 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 Vinegar Hill Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Vinegar Hill Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vinegar Hill Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Vinegar Hill Township get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cuba City, WI, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vinegar Hill Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Galena, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Vinegar Hill Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 170 frost-free days, at Galena, IL.
What growing zone is Vinegar Hill Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vinegar Hill Township?
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 Vinegar Hill Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vinegar Hill 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.