The climate in Rockford sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. Its January nights bite harder than in 66% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to June and August to October, with highs of 64–82°.
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 Ohio 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 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Celina 3 Ne, OH, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockford’s 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Celina 3 Ne, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rockford
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Celina 3 Ne, OH.
Living with Rockford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); 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 similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rockford yet.
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, OH | 19° | 84° | 39" | 29" |
| Dolton, IL | 18° | 84° | 39" | 28" |
| Griffith, IN | 17° | 84° | 39" | 27" |
| New Castle, PA | 20° | 84° | 42" | 28" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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 Rockford averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Ohio’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 Celina 3 Ne, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 2.6" | 10.8" | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 22° | 2.1" | 7.1" | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 48° | 30° | 2.7" | 4.1" | 11 | 31° – 54° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 12 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.0" | 1.3" | 9 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.5" | 4.9" | 10 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 39.1" | 28.8" | 123 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 40°. 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: Celina 3 Ne, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Celina 3 Ne, OH, 10 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 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockford in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 116 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Rockford get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Celina 3 Ne, OH, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Rockford?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Celina 3 Ne, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Rockford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 175 frost-free days, at Celina 3 Ne, OH.
What growing zone is Rockford 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 Rockford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, 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 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% 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.