Climate · Murphysboro

Murphysboro, IL climate

Murphysboro has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
80th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
24°
136th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
47 in
162nd wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
10 in
227th least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Murphysboro feels like

Winter

45° / 27°
Typical high / low · 4 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

67° / 45°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 9

Summer

87° / 66°
Typical high / low · 41 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

69° / 46°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Murphysboro weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January42°24°3.1" 3.2"7 27° – 42°
February47°28°2.9" 1.9"8 26° – 46°
March57°36°4.2" 0.5"10 40° – 59°
April68°45°5.3" 010 49° – 62°
May77°55°5.2" 011 61° – 73°
June85°64°4.5" 09 69° – 79°
July89°68°3.9" 07 72° – 84°
August88°65°3.3" 07 71° – 83°
September81°57°3.3" 06 65° – 76°
October70°46°3.6" 08 54° – 63°
November56°35°4.3" 0.3"7 38° – 51°
December45°28°3.3" 4.0"8 23° – 46°
Year67°46°46.7"9.9"98

“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 Murphysboro

Murphysboro gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.

47 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 76% of U.S. towns
10 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 72% of U.S. towns
98 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.3"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
4.0"
Frost & the growing season

About 195 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 195 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 69% of U.S. towns.

95
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
41
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 Murphysboro

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Murphysboro, 77% of that work is heating and 23% is cooling.

77%heating
4,460 heating degree daysLess heating than 75% of U.S. towns
1,370 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 75% 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 Murphysboro compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 73% of U.S. towns80th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold24° January low
Milder than 70% of U.S. towns136th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation47" a year
Wetter than 76% of U.S. towns162nd wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow10" a winter
Less snow than 72% of U.S. towns227th least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season195 frost-free days
Longer than 69% of U.S. towns500th 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

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Murphysboro averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°). The shift is smaller than in 73% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.6° now 36°, was 34°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 56°, was 55°
☀️ Summer+0.6° now 76°, was 76°
🍂 Fall+0.5° now 58°, was 57°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Murphysboro’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 23° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Murphysboro’s climate

What is the coldest month in Murphysboro?

January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 24°.

What is the hottest month in Murphysboro?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 41 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Murphysboro get?

About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Murphysboro?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 9.

What is the rainiest month in Murphysboro?

April, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Murphysboro itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Murphysboro 2 Sw, IL (2 mi, snow) and Carbondale Southern Il Airport, 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.

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