Climate · Winthrop Harbor

Winthrop Harbor, IL climate

Winthrop Harbor has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
81°
1st coolest of 2,886 Illinois towns
January low
17°
1406th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Rain + melted snow
36 in
1st driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow a winter
36 in
226th snowiest of 2,880 Illinois towns
A normal year

What a year in Winthrop Harbor feels like

Winter

34° / 20°
Typical high / low · 12 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

55° / 38°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 19

Summer

79° / 62°
Typical high / low · 7 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 45°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 26
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Winthrop Harbor weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January31°17°1.8" 11.3"1018 15° – 35°
February35°20°1.7" 9.8"912 15° – 37°
March44°29°2.3" 5.7"105 29° – 50°
April54°38°3.8" 0.8"120 38° – 52°
May65°47°4.0" 0120 51° – 62°
June75°57°4.2" 0110 62° – 71°
July81°64°3.3" 090 68° – 79°
August80°64°3.6" 0100 66° – 77°
September73°56°3.4" 090 59° – 69°
October61°44°3.3" 0.1"100 49° – 58°
November48°33°2.4" 1.5"101 32° – 49°
December36°23°1.9" 7.0"107 18° – 39°
Year57°41°35.5"36.2"12044

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Winthrop Harbor

Winthrop Harbor gets 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 44 days of the year.

36 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 64% of U.S. towns
36 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 65% of U.S. towns
44 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 62% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.2"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
11"
Frost & the growing season

About 189 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first one by October 26. That leaves about 189 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 63% of U.S. towns.

122
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
7
nights below 0° in a normal year
7
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Winthrop Harbor

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Winthrop Harbor, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

92%heating
6,617 heating degree daysMore heating than 67% of U.S. towns
609 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 68% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Winthrop Harbor

Winthrop Harbor and its neighbors

Winthrop Harbor borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.6°. Pleasant Prairie has both the coldest January nights (16°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Winthrop Harbor’s January low is 17° and its July high 81°.

Beach Park: January low 16°, July high 82°Wadsworth: January low 15°, July high 82°Newport: January low 15°, July high 82°Waukegan: January low 17°, July high 82°Kenosha: January low 16°, July high 82°Bristol: January low 15°, July high 83°Benton: January low 16°, July high 82°Zion: January low 16°, July high 82°Zion: January low 16°, July high 82°Pleasant Prairie: January low 16°, July high 82°Winthrop Harbor: January low 17°, July high 81° Winthrop HarborBentonZionZionPleasant Prairie
ColderMilder15° to 17°
Pleasant Prairie15.8° −1.6°
Benton16.3° −1.1°
Zion16.3° −1.1°
Zion16.3° −1.1°
Winthrop Harbor17.4°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Winthrop Harbor compares

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler than 83% of U.S. towns1st coolest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Winter cold17° January low
Colder than 59% of U.S. towns1406th mildest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Precipitation36" a year
Drier than 64% of U.S. towns1st driest of 2,886 Illinois towns
Snow36" a winter
Snowier than 65% of U.S. towns226th snowiest of 2,880 Illinois towns
Growing season189 frost-free days
Longer than 63% of U.S. towns997th longest of 2,886 Illinois towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Winthrop Harbor averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 74% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.2° now 27°, was 25°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 46°, was 46°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 70°, was 70°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 53°, was 52°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Winthrop Harbor’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 15° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Winthrop Harbor’s climate

What is the coldest month in Winthrop Harbor?

January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 17°.

What is the hottest month in Winthrop Harbor?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 64°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Winthrop Harbor get?

About 36 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Winthrop Harbor?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 26, and the last spring frost by April 19.

What is the rainiest month in Winthrop Harbor?

June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Winthrop Harbor itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Kenosha, WI (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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