Climate · Cartwright

Cartwright, IL climate

Cartwright has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
988th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
19°
1019th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
38 in
1025th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
18 in
1282nd least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Cartwright feels like

Winter

38° / 22°
Typical high / low · 7 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

64° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 14

Summer

85° / 63°
Typical high / low · 28 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

66° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 20
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Cartwright weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January35°19°2.2" 6.9"7 20° – 39°
February40°23°2.0" 4.2"5 19° – 42°
March52°32°2.7" 1.9"7 35° – 56°
April65°42°4.0" 09 46° – 60°
May75°53°4.6" 010 59° – 73°
June83°62°4.4" 09 68° – 76°
July86°65°3.7" 07 70° – 82°
August85°63°3.5" 07 68° – 79°
September79°55°3.1" 07 62° – 72°
October67°43°3.2" 08 50° – 60°
November52°33°2.9" 0.5"6 35° – 50°
December40°24°2.1" 4.9"7 18° – 41°
Year63°43°38.4"18.4"90

“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 Cartwright

Cartwright gets 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 90 days a year.

38 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 55% of U.S. towns
18 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns
90 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.9"
Frost & the growing season

About 187 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 187 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 60% of U.S. towns.

111
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
5
nights below 0° in a normal year
28
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 Cartwright

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cartwright, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

81%heating
5,215 heating degree daysLess heating than 62% of U.S. towns
1,252 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 71% 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 Cartwright

Cartwright and its neighbors

Cartwright borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Gardner has the coldest January nights (19°) and Island Grove the hottest July afternoons (86°). Cartwright’s January low is 19° and its July high 86°.

New Berlin: January low 19°, July high 86°Curran: January low 19°, July high 86°Capital: January low 19°, July high 86°Springfield: January low 19°, July high 86°Fancy Creek: January low 19°, July high 86°Springfield: January low 19°, July high 86°Island Grove: January low 19°, July high 86°Gardner: January low 19°, July high 86°Cartwright: January low 19°, July high 86° CartwrightIsland GroveGardner
ColderMilder19° to 19°
Cartwright19.0°
Gardner19.1° +0.1°
Island Grove19.2° +0.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Cartwright compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 59% of U.S. towns988th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold19° January low
Colder than 52% of U.S. towns1019th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation38" a year
Drier than 55% of U.S. towns1025th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow18" a winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns1282nd least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season187 frost-free days
Longer than 60% of U.S. towns1333rd 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

+0.8°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Cartwright averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 83% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.9° now 30°, was 28°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 53°, was 52°
☀️ Summer−0.2° now 74°, was 74°
🍂 Fall+0.4° now 55°, was 54°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cartwright’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 18° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Cartwright’s climate

What is the coldest month in Cartwright?

January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 19°.

What is the hottest month in Cartwright?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Cartwright get?

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

When is the first frost in Cartwright?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 14.

What is the rainiest month in Cartwright?

May, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cartwright itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Petersburg 3ssw, IL (9 mi, snow) and Springfield Capital Airport, IL (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.

The porch light’s on

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