Climate · Gillespie

Gillespie, IL climate

Gillespie has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 14 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
21°
673rd mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
41 in
754th wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
14 in
766th least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Gillespie feels like

Winter

40° / 24°
Typical high / low · 5 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

64° / 44°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 14

Summer

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

Fall

67° / 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

Gillespie weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January37°21°2.4" 5.7"6 23° – 40°
February42°25°2.1" 2.8"6 22° – 44°
March53°33°3.1" 1.6"8 36° – 57°
April65°43°4.7" 0.1"9 47° – 60°
May75°54°4.8" 010 60° – 72°
June84°63°4.3" 08 68° – 77°
July87°66°4.0" 07 71° – 83°
August85°64°3.4" 06 69° – 81°
September80°56°3.3" 05 63° – 73°
October67°45°3.2" 0.1"6 51° – 62°
November53°35°3.3" 0.7"7 36° – 52°
December42°26°2.4" 2.9"6 20° – 42°
Year64°44°41.2"13.9"83

“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 Gillespie

Gillespie gets 41 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.

41 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 55% of U.S. towns
14 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns
83 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
5.7"
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 Gillespie

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Gillespie, 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.

Compared with other towns

How Gillespie compares

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter than 62% of U.S. towns744th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold21° January low
Milder than 57% of U.S. towns673rd mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation41" a year
Wetter than 55% of U.S. towns754th wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow14" a winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns766th 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 Gillespie averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 78% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.6° now 32°, was 30°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 54°, was 53°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 75°, was 75°
🍂 Fall+0.6° now 56°, was 55°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Gillespie’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 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Gillespie’s climate

What is the coldest month in Gillespie?

January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 21°.

What is the hottest month in Gillespie?

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

How much snow does Gillespie get?

About 14 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Gillespie?

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 Gillespie?

May, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 41 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Gillespie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mt Olive 1 E, IL (7 mi, snow) and Carlinville, 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.

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