Climate · Bird

Bird, IL climate

Bird has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
87°
744th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
20°
740th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
40 in
971st wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
18 in
1162nd least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
+12°

12° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 85°, and a typical Oct 1 in Bird peaks around 73°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020

A normal year

What a year in Bird feels like

Winter

40° / 23°
Typical high / low · 5 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

64° / 43°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 14

Summer

85° / 64°
Typical high / low · 27 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

66° / 45°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 21
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Bird weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January37°20°2.3" 5.8"88 22° – 40°
February42°24°2.0" 4.5"76 21° – 43°
March53°33°2.9" 2.5"102 35° – 56°
April65°43°4.4" 0.3"110 47° – 60°
May75°54°4.8" 0120 60° – 73°
June84°63°4.3" 090 68° – 77°
July87°66°3.8" 080 71° – 83°
August85°64°3.4" 070 69° – 81°
September79°56°3.2" 070 63° – 73°
October67°45°3.2" 080 50° – 62°
November53°34°3.2" 0.8"81 36° – 51°
December41°25°2.3" 3.7"84 20° – 42°
Year64°44°39.8"17.6"10320

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Bird

Bird gets 40 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 20 days of the year.

40 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 50% of U.S. towns
18 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 61% of U.S. towns
20 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 59% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
5.8"
Frost & the growing season

About 188 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first one by October 21. That leaves about 188 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 62% of U.S. towns.

110
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
4
nights below 0° in a normal year
27
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Bird

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bird, 82% of that work is heating and 18% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

82%heating
5,320 heating degree daysLess heating than 60% of U.S. towns
1,142 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 67% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Bird

Bird and its neighbors

Bird borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. South Palmyra has the coldest January nights (20°) and Western Mound the hottest July afternoons (87°). Bird’s January low is 20° and its July high 87°.

Brushy Mound: January low 21°, July high 87°Shaws Point: January low 20°, July high 86°South Otter: January low 20°, July high 86°Chesterfield: January low 21°, July high 87°Barr: January low 20°, July high 87°Rockbridge: January low 21°, July high 87°Hillyard: January low 21°, July high 87°North Palmyra: January low 20°, July high 86°Carlinville: January low 20°, July high 87°Western Mound: January low 21°, July high 87°Polk: January low 21°, July high 87°South Palmyra: January low 20°, July high 87°Bird: January low 20°, July high 87° BirdCarlinvilleWestern MoundPolkSouth Palmyra
ColderMilder20° to 21°
South Palmyra20.2° −0.2°
Bird20.4°
Carlinville20.4° same
Western Mound20.5° +0.1°
Polk20.8° +0.4°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Bird compares

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter than 62% of U.S. towns744th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold20° January low
Milder than 56% of U.S. towns740th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation40" a year
Wetter than 50% of U.S. towns971st wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow18" a winter
Less snow than 61% of U.S. towns1162nd least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season188 frost-free days
Longer than 62% of U.S. towns1179th longest of 2,886 Illinois towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Bird averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 79% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 32°, was 30°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 54°, was 53°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 75°, was 75°
🍂 Fall+0.5° now 56°, was 55°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bird’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 20° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Bird’s climate

What is the coldest month in Bird?

January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 20°.

What is the hottest month in Bird?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 27 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Bird get?

About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Bird?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 14.

What is the rainiest month in Bird?

May, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 40 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bird itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Greenfield, IL (12 mi, snow) and Carlinville, IL (7 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bird, ILMacoupin CountyView boundary

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