Prairie, IL climate
Prairie has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Prairie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Prairie 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° | 2.7" | 5.6" | 9 | 11 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 2.2" | 5.2" | 9 | 7 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 3.1" | 2.6" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 24° | 2.8" | 4.5" | 10 | 6 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 41.7" | 19.2" | 118 | 27 |
“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 Prairie
Prairie gets 42 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 27 days of the year.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first one by October 14. That leaves about 171 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Prairie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Prairie, 85% of that work is heating and 15% 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.
Prairie and its neighbors
Prairie borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Elwood has the coldest January nights (19°) and Helt the hottest July afternoons (86°). Prairie’s January low is 19° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Prairie 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 Prairie averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Prairie’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 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Prairie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Prairie?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Prairie?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Prairie get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Prairie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Prairie?
June, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Prairie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Perrysville 4 Wnw, IN (18 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.