West has chilly winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in West at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West’s climate
Read from where West sits among Illinois’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in West feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Living with West’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
206 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 28.
About 10" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 76% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 43 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 88°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 0.0 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 →10 inches of snow, 47 of rain and melt
April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 28.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in West averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How West compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Illinois.
West 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 24° | 3.2" | 2.3" | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.0" | 2.9" | 7 | 25° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.4" | 9 | 38° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.2" | 0 | 10 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.6" | 0 | 8 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 3.9" | 0 | 8 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.3" | 0 | 7 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.3" | 0 | 6 | 64° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 3.4" | 2.7" | 8 | 23° – 46° |
| Year | 66° | 46° | 47.1" | 9.8" | 94 |
Heating and cooling a home in West
76% of the work is heating.
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 23° to 46°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about West’s climate
What is the coldest month in West?
January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 24°.
What is the hottest month in West?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 43 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does West get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in West?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 4.
What is the rainiest month in West?
April, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for West itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Plumfield, IL (8 mi, snow) and Benton 2 N, IL (3 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.