Shafter, IL climate
Shafter has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shafter feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shafter 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 | 37° | 21° | 2.8" | 3.6" | 9 | 10 | 23° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 25° | 2.4" | 4.4" | 9 | 6 | 22° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 34° | 3.2" | 1.6" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 4.8" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 2.7" | 2.4" | 9 | 5 | 20° – 43° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 43.5" | 12.8" | 111 | 24 |
“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 Shafter
Shafter gets 44 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 24 days of the year.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first one by October 24. That leaves about 196 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shafter
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shafter, 81% of that work is heating and 19% 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.
Shafter and its neighbors
Shafter borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Fillmore Consolidated has the coldest January nights (21°) and Bear Grove the hottest July afternoons (87°). Shafter’s January low is 21° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Shafter 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 Shafter averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°). The shift is smaller than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shafter’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 20° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Shafter’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shafter?
January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 21°.
What is the hottest month in Shafter?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 31 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shafter get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Shafter?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 24, and the last spring frost by April 10.
What is the rainiest month in Shafter?
May, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shafter itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ramsey, IL (10 mi, snow) and Vandalia, 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.