Rockford’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Rockford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rockford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rockford’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Rockford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Seymour 2 N, IN, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockford’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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Seymour 2 N, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rockford
84% 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 Seymour 2 N, IN.
Living with Rockford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rockford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rockford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rockford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IN | 23° | 86° | 48" | 8.0" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Ocean Acres, NJ | 25° | 85° | 47" | 10" |
| Hazard, KY | 26° | 87° | 49" | 8.8" |
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 Rockford averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Rockford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rockford’s place among Indiana’s.
Rockford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rockford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seymour 2 N, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 23° | 3.5" | 2.8" | 10 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 2.9" | 1.8" | 8 | 23° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 4.1" | 2.0" | 10 | 36° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 7 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 34° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 8 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 10 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 48.3" | 8.0" | 108 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rockford’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 Rockford’s center.
- Snow: Seymour 2 N, IN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Seymour 2 N, IN, 0.9 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 Rockford’s climate
What is the weather like in Rockford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockford in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 117 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 Rockford get?
About 8.0 inches in a normal winter at Seymour 2 N, IN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Rockford?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Seymour 2 N, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Rockford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 187 frost-free days, at Seymour 2 N, IN.
What growing zone is Rockford 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 Rockford?
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 Rockford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rockford.
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.