Climate · Pontoosuc

Pontoosuc, IL climate

Pontoosuc has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
1316th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
17°
1164th coldest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
39 in
1404th wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
18 in
1205th least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Pontoosuc feels like

Winter

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

Spring

62° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 12

Summer

84° / 64°
Typical high / low · 19 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

64° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 25
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Pontoosuc 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°1.7" 6.1"814 17° – 37°
February38°21°1.8" 4.6"88 16° – 40°
March50°31°2.5" 1.7"102 33° – 55°
April63°41°3.9" 0.5"120 44° – 59°
May73°53°5.2" 0130 58° – 71°
June82°62°5.0" 0100 69° – 76°
July86°66°4.1" 090 70° – 82°
August84°64°3.7" 090 68° – 79°
September78°56°3.7" 070 61° – 71°
October65°44°3.1" 0.1"90 49° – 60°
November50°32°2.5" 0.8"81 33° – 51°
December38°22°1.9" 4.3"87 15° – 39°
Year62°42°39.0"18.1"11132

“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 Pontoosuc

Pontoosuc 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 111 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 32 days of the year.

39 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 53% of U.S. towns
18 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns
32 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 53% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.2"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.1"
Frost & the growing season

About 194 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first one by October 25. That leaves about 194 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 68% of U.S. towns.

110
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6
nights below 0° in a normal year
19
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 Pontoosuc

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Pontoosuc, 84% of that work is heating and 16% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

84%heating
5,731 heating degree daysLess heating than 51% of U.S. towns
1,119 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 65% 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 Pontoosuc

Pontoosuc and its neighbors

Pontoosuc borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Dallas City has the coldest January nights (16°) and Pontoosuc the hottest July afternoons (86°). Pontoosuc’s January low is 17° and its July high 86°.

Durham: January low 16°, July high 86°Lomax: January low 16°, July high 86°Fort Madison: January low 17°, July high 86°Sonora: January low 17°, July high 86°Nauvoo: January low 17°, July high 86°Nauvoo: January low 17°, July high 86°Pilot Grove: January low 17°, July high 86°Prairie: January low 17°, July high 86°Dallas City: January low 17°, July high 86°Pontoosuc: January low 16°, July high 86°Appanoose: January low 17°, July high 86°Dallas City: January low 16°, July high 86°Rock Creek: January low 17°, July high 86°Pontoosuc: January low 17°, July high 86° PontoosucDallas CityPontoosucAppanooseDallas CityRock Creek
ColderMilder16° to 17°
Dallas City16.3° −0.3°
Pontoosuc16.4° −0.2°
Dallas City16.5° −0.1°
Pontoosuc16.6°
Appanoose16.8° +0.2°
Rock Creek16.8° +0.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Pontoosuc compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 55% of U.S. towns1316th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold17° January low
Colder than 64% of U.S. towns1164th coldest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 53% of U.S. towns1404th wettest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow18" a winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns1205th least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season194 frost-free days
Longer than 68% of U.S. towns556th 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

+0.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Pontoosuc averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 93% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.4° now 28°, was 27°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 52°, was 51°
☀️ Summer−0.1° now 74°, was 74°
🍂 Fall+0.3° now 54°, was 54°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Pontoosuc’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 15° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Pontoosuc’s climate

What is the coldest month in Pontoosuc?

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

What is the hottest month in Pontoosuc?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 19 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Pontoosuc get?

About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Pontoosuc?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 25, and the last spring frost by April 12.

What is the rainiest month in Pontoosuc?

May, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Pontoosuc itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Madison, IA (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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