Melrose, IL climate
Melrose has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Melrose feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Melrose 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° | 19° | 1.8" | 5.3" | 7 | 15 | 21° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 1.9" | 4.5" | 6 | 10 | 20° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.6" | 1.4" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 43° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 54° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 3.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.1" | 7 | 8 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 63° | 44° | 39.3" | 17.0" | 105 | 36 |
“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 Melrose
Melrose 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 105 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 36 days of the year.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first one by October 30. That leaves about 204 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 75% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Melrose
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Melrose, 81% of that work is heating and 19% 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.
Melrose and its neighbors
Melrose borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Ellington has the coldest January nights (18°) and Riverside the hottest July afternoons (87°). Melrose’s January low is 19° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Melrose 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 Melrose averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°). The shift is smaller than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Melrose’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 17° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Melrose’s climate
What is the coldest month in Melrose?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Melrose?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 31 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Melrose get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Melrose?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 30, and the last spring frost by April 8.
What is the rainiest month in Melrose?
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 Melrose itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Payson, IL (7 mi, snow) and Quincy Dam 21, IL (5 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.