Leef, IL climate
Leef has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Leef feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Leef 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 | 38° | 22° | 2.7" | 3.9" | 8 | 6 | 24° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 2.2" | 2.0" | 8 | 2 | 24° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 2.6" | 2.9" | 8 | 3 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 65° | 45° | 42.6" | 10.2" | 103 | 12 |
“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 Leef
Leef gets 43 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 12 days of the year.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first one by October 24. That leaves about 192 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 66% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Leef
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Leef, 78% of that work is heating and 22% 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.
Leef and its neighbors
Leef borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. New Douglas has the coldest January nights (22°) and Saline the hottest July afternoons (88°). Leef’s January low is 22° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Leef 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 Leef averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 74% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Leef’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 21° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Leef’s climate
What is the coldest month in Leef?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Leef?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 42 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Leef get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Leef?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 24, and the last spring frost by April 13.
What is the rainiest month in Leef?
May, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 43 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Leef itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Highland, IL (8 mi, snow) and Hillsboro, IL (22 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.