Alton, IL climate
Alton has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Alton feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Alton 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 | 39° | 23° | 2.4" | 3.7" | 8 | 6 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.2" | 2.5" | 8 | 3 | 25° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 1.0" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 56° | 5.0" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 69° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 3.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 3.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 47° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 54° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 28° | 2.6" | 3.3" | 8 | 4 | 22° – 44° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 41.7" | 10.8" | 112 | 15 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Alton
Alton gets 42 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 15 days of the year.
About 214 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first one by November 5. That leaves about 214 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 80% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Alton
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Alton, 77% of that work is heating and 23% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Alton and its neighbors
Alton borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Foster has the coldest January nights (22°) and West Alton the hottest July afternoons (88°). Alton’s January low is 23° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Alton compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alton averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Alton’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 22° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Alton’s climate
What is the coldest month in Alton?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Alton?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 69°. About 29 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Alton get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Alton?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 5, and the last spring frost by April 4.
What is the rainiest month in Alton?
May, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Alton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Edwardsville 2 W, IL (10 mi, snow) and Alton - Melvin Price L&d, IL (3 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.