Photo: BigCheddah · CC BY-SA 4.0Evanston’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 81°
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 10°.
A year in Evanston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Evanston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Evanston’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Evanston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 90 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 12 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Evanston 1 E, WY, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Evanston’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Evanston
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Evanston 1 E, WY.
Living with Evanston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
90 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Evanston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Evanston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Evanston yet.
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 Evanston averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Evanston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Evanston’s place among Wyoming’s.
Evanston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Evanston’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 10° | 0.7" | 13° – 28° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 0.6" | 14° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 24° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 26° | 1.1" | 33° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 34° | 1.6" | 42° – 51° |
| June | 72° | 41° | 1.1" | 51° – 62° |
| July | 81° | 48° | 0.7" | 57° – 68° |
| August | 79° | 46° | 1.0" | 58° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 38° | 1.2" | 49° – 58° |
| October | 57° | 28° | 1.2" | 35° – 48° |
| November | 42° | 18° | 0.8" | 20° – 36° |
| December | 31° | 10° | 0.6" | 15° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 27° | 11.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Evanston’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 Evanston’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Evanston 1 E, WY, 0.8 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 Evanston’s climate
What is the weather like in Evanston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 10°. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Evanston in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 210 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How hot does it get in Evanston?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 48°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Evanston 1 E, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Evanston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 12 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 90 frost-free days, at Evanston 1 E, WY.
What growing zone is Evanston in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Evanston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Evanston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Evanston.
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.