Climate · Ripley

Ripley, IL climate

Ripley has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
858th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
18°
1179th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
38 in
1025th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
14 in
651st least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Ripley feels like

Winter

38° / 21°
Typical high / low · 6 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

64° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 16

Summer

85° / 63°
Typical high / low · 21 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

66° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 23
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Ripley 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
January35°18°1.8" 5.3"611 20° – 38°
February40°22°1.9" 2.8"56 19° – 42°
March52°32°2.6" 1.3"71 34° – 55°
April64°42°3.9" 090 45° – 60°
May75°53°4.9" 090 58° – 73°
June83°62°4.7" 090 69° – 78°
July86°65°3.7" 080 71° – 82°
August85°63°3.6" 060 69° – 80°
September79°55°3.6" 060 61° – 73°
October66°43°3.1" 070 49° – 60°
November52°33°2.6" 0.6"60 35° – 50°
December40°24°2.0" 3.5"56 17° – 40°
Year63°43°38.4"13.5"8224

“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 Ripley

Ripley gets 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 24 days of the year.

38 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 55% of U.S. towns
14 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns
24 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 54% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.9"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
5.3"
Frost & the growing season

About 189 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 189 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 63% of U.S. towns.

121
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
7
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 Ripley

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Ripley, 85% of that work is heating and 15% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

85%heating
5,791 heating degree daysMore heating than 51% of U.S. towns
987 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 59% 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 Ripley

Ripley and its neighbors

Ripley borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Missouri has the coldest January nights (18°) and Ripley the hottest July afternoons (86°). Ripley’s January low is 18° and its July high 86°.

Bainbridge: January low 18°, July high 86°Buena Vista: January low 18°, July high 86°Hagener: January low 19°, July high 87°Versailles: January low 19°, July high 86°Beardstown: January low 19°, July high 87°Mount Sterling: January low 18°, July high 86°Pea Ridge: January low 18°, July high 86°Camden: January low 18°, July high 86°Woodstock: January low 18°, July high 86°Cooperstown: January low 18°, July high 86°Ripley: January low 18°, July high 86°Missouri: January low 18°, July high 86°Ripley: January low 18°, July high 86° RipleyWoodstockCooperstownRipleyMissouri
ColderMilder18° to 19°
Missouri18.1° −0.1°
Ripley18.2°
Woodstock18.2° same
Ripley18.2° same
Cooperstown18.4° +0.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Ripley compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 60% of U.S. towns858th hottest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold18° January low
Colder than 55% of U.S. towns1179th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation38" a year
Drier than 55% of U.S. towns1025th driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow14" a winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns651st least snowy of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season189 frost-free days
Longer than 63% of U.S. towns997th 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

+0.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Ripley averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°). The shift is smaller than in 90% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 30°, was 28°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 53°, was 52°
☀️ Summer−0.2° now 74°, was 74°
🍂 Fall+0.4° now 55°, was 54°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Ripley’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 17° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Ripley’s climate

What is the coldest month in Ripley?

January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 18°.

What is the hottest month in Ripley?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 21 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Ripley get?

About 14 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Ripley?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 16.

What is the rainiest month in Ripley?

May, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Ripley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mt Sterling, IL (6 mi, snow) and Rushville, IL (8 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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