Warsaw has chilly winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Warsaw at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Warsaw’s climate
Read from where Warsaw sits among Illinois’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Warsaw averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
Living with Warsaw’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
198 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 27.
About 23" a winter over 9 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 32 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 84% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 26 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 87°.
The nicest months are April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →What a year in Warsaw feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
23 inches of snow, 39 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 27.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warsaw and its neighbors
Warsaw has the coldest January nights next door (18°) and Warsaw the hottest July afternoons (87°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Warsaw compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Illinois.
Warsaw 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° | 18° | 1.7" | 7.6" | 8 | 15 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 39° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.3" | 7 | 8 | 18° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.5" | 2.1" | 9 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 63° | 4.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 3.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 52° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 1.9" | 5.2" | 8 | 6 | 16° – 40° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 39.4" | 23.1" | 106 | 32 |
Heating and cooling a home in Warsaw
84% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Warsaw’s climate
What is the coldest month in Warsaw?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Warsaw?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Warsaw get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Warsaw?
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 Warsaw?
May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Warsaw.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Warsaw itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bentley, IL (17 mi, snow) and Keokuk Lock Dam 19, IA (4 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.