Climate · Otto

Otto, IL climate

Otto has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
85°
1057th coolest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
17°
1102nd coldest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
39 in
1369th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
21 in
1383rd snowiest of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Otto feels like

Winter

36° / 20°
Typical high / low · 8 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

62° / 40°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 19

Summer

83° / 61°
Typical high / low · 21 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

64° / 43°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 24
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Otto weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January33°17°2.2" 8.1"1115 15° – 37°
February37°20°1.8" 3.4"910 15° – 39°
March49°30°2.4" 3.0"93 31° – 54°
April62°39°3.7" 0.3"110 42° – 57°
May73°50°4.4" 0120 56° – 69°
June82°60°4.9" 0100 67° – 75°
July85°63°4.4" 090 68° – 79°
August83°61°3.8" 090 67° – 78°
September78°54°3.1" 080 61° – 70°
October65°43°3.3" 090 50° – 60°
November50°32°2.6" 0.6"91 33° – 49°
December38°22°2.1" 5.3"96 16° – 40°
Year61°41°38.8"20.7"11335

“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 Otto

Otto gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 35 days of the year.

39 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 53% of U.S. towns
21 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 56% of U.S. towns
35 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 56% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.9"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
8.1"
Frost & the growing season

About 188 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first one by October 24. That leaves about 188 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 62% of U.S. towns.

129
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8
nights below 0° in a normal year
21
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 Otto

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Otto, 86% of that work is heating and 14% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

86%heating
5,983 heating degree daysMore heating than 55% of U.S. towns
997 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 60% 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.

Around Otto

Otto and its neighbors

Otto borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Pilot has the coldest January nights (16°) and Aroma the hottest July afternoons (85°). Otto’s January low is 17° and its July high 85°.

Ganeer: January low 17°, July high 84°St. Anne: January low 17°, July high 85°Kankakee: January low 17°, July high 85°Papineau: January low 17°, July high 85°Bourbonnais: January low 17°, July high 84°Bradley: January low 17°, July high 84°Ashkum: January low 17°, July high 85°Milks Grove: January low 17°, July high 85°Martinton: January low 17°, July high 85°Limestone: January low 17°, July high 84°Salina: January low 17°, July high 85°Rockville: January low 17°, July high 84°Norton: January low 16°, July high 84°Aroma: January low 17°, July high 85°Kankakee: January low 17°, July high 85°Chebanse: January low 17°, July high 85°Limestone: January low 17°, July high 84°Pilot: January low 16°, July high 85°Otto: January low 17°, July high 85° OttoAromaKankakeeChebanseLimestonePilot
ColderMilder16° to 17°
Pilot16.4° −0.1°
Otto16.5°
Limestone16.5° same
Chebanse16.6° +0.1°
Aroma16.7° +0.2°
Kankakee16.7° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Otto compares

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler than 51% of U.S. towns1057th coolest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold17° January low
Colder than 64% of U.S. towns1102nd coldest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 53% of U.S. towns1369th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow21" a winter
Less snow than 56% of U.S. towns1383rd snowiest of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season188 frost-free days
Longer than 62% of U.S. towns1179th 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

+1.4°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Otto averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 61% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.0° now 28°, was 26°
🌷 Spring+1.6° now 51°, was 49°
☀️ Summer+0.4° now 72°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+1.3° now 54°, was 52°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Otto’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 16° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Otto’s climate

What is the coldest month in Otto?

January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 17°.

What is the hottest month in Otto?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 21 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Otto get?

About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Otto?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 24, and the last spring frost by April 19.

What is the rainiest month in Otto?

June, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Otto itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Kankakee Metro Wastewater, IL (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The porch light’s on

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