Sonora, IL climate
Sonora 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 decadeWhat a year in Sonora feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sonora 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 | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 6.1" | 8 | 14 | 18° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 21° | 1.9" | 4.6" | 8 | 8 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 2.6" | 1.7" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 53° | 5.2" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 62° | 5.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 3.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 1.9" | 4.3" | 8 | 7 | 15° – 39° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 39.6" | 18.1" | 111 | 32 |
“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 Sonora
Sonora gets 40 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.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first one by October 27. That leaves about 198 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sonora
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sonora, 84% of that work is heating and 16% 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.
Sonora and its neighbors
Sonora borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Nauvoo has both the coldest January nights (17°) and the hottest July afternoons (86°). Sonora’s January low is 17° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sonora 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 Sonora 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.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sonora’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 15° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Sonora’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sonora?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Sonora?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sonora get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Sonora?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 27, and the last spring frost by April 10.
What is the rainiest month in Sonora?
May, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 40 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sonora itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Madison, IA (8 mi, snow) and Keokuk Lock Dam 19, IA (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.