The climate in Waverly sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 86°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 64% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.9° higher. From April to June and September to October, highs of 65–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Waverly at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waverly’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waverly’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Waverly feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Virden, IL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waverly’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Virden, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Waverly
79% 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 Virden, IL.
Living with Waverly’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 33% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waverly from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waverly and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Waverly yet.
Climates most like Waverly’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly, IL | 20° | 86° | 39" | 16" |
| Excelsior Springs, MO | 19° | 87° | 40" | 19" |
| Dayton, OH | 22° | 86° | 41" | 12" |
| Ambridge, PA | 21° | 85° | 39" | 20" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
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 Waverly averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Waverly compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waverly’s place among Illinois’.
Waverly weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Waverly’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Virden, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 2.2" | 6.7" | 6 | 11 | 21° – 39° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.0" | 3.1" | 5 | 5 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.8" | 2.3" | 7 | 2 | 35° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 3.0" | 0.7" | 7 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 2.2" | 3.3" | 6 | 5 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 39.1" | 16.1" | 84 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Waverly’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 Waverly’s center.
- Snow: Virden, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Virden, IL, 11 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 Waverly’s climate
What is the weather like in Waverly?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waverly in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 101 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 21°.
How much snow does Waverly get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Virden, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Waverly?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Virden, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Waverly?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 205 frost-free days, at Virden, IL.
What growing zone is Waverly in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waverly?
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 Waverly getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Waverly.
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.