Milton has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Milton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Milton’s climate
Read from where Milton sits among Illinois’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
42 inches of snow, 38 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with Milton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
169 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 16.
About 42" a winter over 12 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 55 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 89% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 17 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 84°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August, September and October. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Milton averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 59% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Milton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 16.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Milton and its neighbors
Winfield has the coldest January nights next door (15°) and Naperville the hottest July afternoons (84°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Milton compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Illinois.
Milton 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 | 31° | 16° | 1.9" | 12.6" | 11 | 17 | 14° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 1.8" | 14.5" | 10 | 18 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 4.1" | 12 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 3.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 76° | 54° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 36° | 21° | 2.1" | 9.7" | 13 | 14 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 38.4" | 42.3" | 133 | 55 |
Heating and cooling a home in Milton
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Milton’s climate
What is the coldest month in Milton?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Milton?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Milton get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Milton?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by April 28.
What is the rainiest month in Milton?
May, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Milton.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Milton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Oak Brook 2w, IL (6 mi, snow) and Lisle-morton Arboretum, IL (3 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.