Alden has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Alden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alden’s climate
Read from where Alden sits among Illinois’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Alden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Living with Alden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
164 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 13.
About 32" a winter over 13 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 57 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 93% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 9 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 83°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 13.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
32 inches of snow, 38 of rain and melt
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Alden and its neighbors
Chemung has the coldest January nights next door (13°) and Hartland the hottest July afternoons (83°). Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Alden averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Alden compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Illinois.
Alden weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 13° | 1.8" | 10.0" | 10 | 21 | 10° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 1.6" | 8.4" | 8 | 16 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.4" | 10 | 6 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.8" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.4" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.4" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 34° | 19° | 2.0" | 6.3" | 9 | 13 | 14° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 37.6" | 31.9" | 120 | 57 |
Heating and cooling a home in Alden
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Alden’s climate
What is the coldest month in Alden?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Alden?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Alden get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Alden?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Alden?
June, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alden.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Alden itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Harvard, IL (6 mi, snow) and Pell Lake, WI (12 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.