Lima, IL climate
Lima has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lima feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lima 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 | 35° | 18° | 1.7" | 7.6" | 8 | 15 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.3" | 7 | 8 | 18° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.5" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 54° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.4" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.2" | 8 | 6 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 39.4" | 23.1" | 106 | 32 |
“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 Lima
Lima gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 32 days of the year.
About 194 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 194 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 68% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lima
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lima, 85% of that work is heating and 15% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
Lima and its neighbors
Lima borders 7 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Rocky Run-Wilcox has the coldest January nights (18°) and Ursa the hottest July afternoons (87°). Lima’s January low is 18° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lima 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 Lima averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°). The shift is smaller than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lima’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 18° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Lima’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lima?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Lima?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lima get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Lima?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 11.
What is the rainiest month in Lima?
May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lima itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bentley, IL (20 mi, snow) and Canton L&d 20, MO (6 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.