Afternoon heat in Galesburg beats that of 77% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. Temperatures cover 66° across the year, low to high. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 11, with the first autumn frost due around October 26.
A year in Galesburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Galesburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Galesburg’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Galesburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parsons 2 Nw, KS, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Galesburg’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galesburg 1nne, KS, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Galesburg
75% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Parsons 2 Nw, KS.
Living with Galesburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Galesburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Galesburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Galesburg yet.
Climates most like Galesburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg, KS | 24° | 90° | 44" | 10" |
| Pevely, MO | 23° | 89° | 43" | 9.2" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
| Mountain Home, AR | 26° | 90° | 48" | 7.8" |
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 Galesburg averaged 0.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in all but 83 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 Galesburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Galesburg’s place among Kansas’.
Galesburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Galesburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galesburg 1nne, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 1.4" | 3.4" | 5 | 3 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 27° | 1.6" | 1.8" | 6 | 1 | 30° – 46° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 2.8" | 1.3" | 7 | 1 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 87° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 36° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 1.9" | 3.3" | 5 | 3 | 24° – 42° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 43.7" | 10.1" | 86 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Galesburg’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 Galesburg’s center.
- Snow: Galesburg 1nne, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parsons 2 Nw, KS, 8 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 Galesburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Galesburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Galesburg in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Galesburg get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Galesburg 1nne, KS, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in Galesburg?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Parsons 2 Nw, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Galesburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 196 frost-free days, at Parsons 2 Nw, KS.
What growing zone is Galesburg in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Galesburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Galesburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 83 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Galesburg.
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.