A middle-of-the-road climate: De Kalb is close to most U.S. towns on every count
In January the night’s low is typically 19°. July is the wettest month, January the driest. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 69% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from April to June and September to October, with highs of 65–84°.
A year in De Kalb at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about De Kalb’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with De Kalb’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in De Kalb feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Atchison, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts De Kalb’s center in zone 6b: 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Atchison, KS, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in De Kalb
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 Atchison, KS.
Living with De Kalb’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 29.
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 De Kalb from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →De Kalb and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around De Kalb yet.
Climates most like De Kalb’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Kalb, MO | 19° | 87° | 38" | 17" |
| Jacksonville, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 16" |
| Fort Madison, IA | 17° | 86° | 39" | 18" |
| Strasburg, VA | 23° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
| Martinsburg, WV | 23° | 87° | 40" | 23" |
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 De Kalb averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
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 De Kalb compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with De Kalb’s place among Missouri’s.
De Kalb weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at De Kalb’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Atchison, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 19° | 0.9" | 5.0" | 5 | 8 | 22° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 1.3" | 4.8" | 5 | 7 | 23° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 2.2" | 1.8" | 7 | 2 | 37° – 58° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 68° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.0" | 0.9" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 1.5" | 3.8" | 5 | 5 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 37.7" | 17.0" | 89 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where De Kalb’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 De Kalb’s center.
- Snow: Atchison, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Atchison, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 De Kalb’s climate
What is the weather like in De Kalb?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in De Kalb in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 107 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 22°.
How much snow does De Kalb get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Atchison, KS, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in De Kalb?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Atchison, KS).
When is the first and last frost in De Kalb?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 199 frost-free days, at Atchison, KS.
What growing zone is De Kalb in?
Zone 6b 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 De Kalb?
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 De Kalb 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 De Kalb.
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.