Summers, winters and rain in Crystal Lakes all run close to those of most U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 68°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 63% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 19, with the first autumn frost due around October 17.
A year in Crystal Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crystal Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crystal Lakes’ place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Crystal Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kearney 3e, MO, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crystal Lakes’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kearney 3e, MO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crystal Lakes
81% 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 Kearney 3e, MO.
Living with Crystal Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 17.
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 Crystal Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crystal Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Crystal Lakes yet.
Climates most like Crystal Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lakes, MO | 19° | 87° | 40" | 19" |
| Quincy, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 17" |
| Keokuk, IA | 18° | 86° | 40" | 23" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
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 Crystal Lakes averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
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 Crystal Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crystal Lakes’ place among Missouri’s.
Crystal Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crystal Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kearney 3e, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | 1.2" | 5.0" | 6 | 7 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 1.6" | 6.5" | 7 | 6 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 2.5" | 2.0" | 8 | 2 | 37° – 57° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 2.2" | 0.9" | 6 | 0 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 42° | 24° | 1.8" | 4.6" | 7 | 5 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 39.6" | 19.4" | 96 | 19 |
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 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Crystal Lakes’ 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 Crystal Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Kearney 3e, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kearney 3e, MO, 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 Crystal Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Crystal Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crystal Lakes in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 128 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 22°.
How much snow does Crystal Lakes get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Kearney 3e, MO, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Crystal Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Kearney 3e, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Crystal Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 181 frost-free days, at Kearney 3e, MO.
What growing zone is Crystal Lakes in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crystal Lakes?
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 Crystal Lakes 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 Crystal Lakes.
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.