Sterling, IL climate
Sterling has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sterling feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sterling 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 | 30° | 14° | 1.7" | 9.0" | 8 | 15 | 13° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.8" | 6.4" | 7 | 10 | 13° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 2.5" | 3.0" | 8 | 4 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.4" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 31° – 48° |
| December | 35° | 20° | 2.1" | 7.9" | 8 | 7 | 13° – 38° |
| Year | 60° | 39° | 38.6" | 28.8" | 109 | 38 |
“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 Sterling
Sterling gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 38 days of the year.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 180 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 53% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sterling
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sterling, 88% of that work is heating and 12% 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.
Sterling and its neighbors
Sterling borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Hopkins has the coldest January nights (13°) and Galt the hottest July afternoons (84°). Sterling’s January low is 14° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sterling 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 Sterling averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sterling’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 13° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Sterling’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sterling?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Sterling?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 11 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sterling get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Sterling?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Sterling?
June, 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 Sterling itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Rock Falls 3 Ne, IL (3 mi, snow) and Dixon 1w, IL (10 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.