Midwinter lows in Gilman City sink below those of 75% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 63% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.7° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 20, with the first autumn frost due around October 16.
A year in Gilman City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gilman City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gilman City’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Gilman City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spickard 7 W, MO, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gilman City’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bethany, MO, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gilman City
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Spickard 7 W, MO.
Living with Gilman City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 16.
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 →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gilman City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gilman City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gilman City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gilman City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilman City, MO | 17° | 87° | 39" | 21" |
| Lincoln, IL | 18° | 86° | 39" | 19" |
| Burlington, IA | 16° | 86° | 38" | 22" |
| Lock Haven, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
| Peru, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 21" |
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 Gilman City averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Gilman City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gilman City’s place among Missouri’s.
Gilman City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gilman City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bethany, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 17° | 1.1" | 5.4" | 5 | 11 | 19° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 1.5" | 5.2" | 6 | 8 | 19° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 2.4" | 3.3" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 2.2" | 1.3" | 6 | 1 | 33° – 50° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 1.6" | 5.6" | 5 | 5 | 16° – 37° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 39.4" | 21.2" | 93 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gilman City’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 Gilman City’s center.
- Snow: Bethany, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spickard 7 W, MO, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Gilman City’s climate
What is the weather like in Gilman City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gilman City in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Gilman City get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Bethany, MO, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gilman City?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Spickard 7 W, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Gilman City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 177 frost-free days, at Spickard 7 W, MO.
What growing zone is Gilman City in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gilman City?
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 Gilman City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gilman City.
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.