Pontiac, IL Climate

Pontiac, IL has a continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters. During the summer months, temperatures average in the mid-80s with high humidity. During the winter months, temperatures can drop to below freezing with occasional snowfall. Precipitation is spread evenly throughout the year. Spring and autumn are usually mild with occasional rain showers. The surrounding area of Pontiac experiences all four seasons and is a great place to experience both hot summers and cold winters.

Pontiac, Illinois gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Pontiac averages 18 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Pontiac. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Pontiac gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 100 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 84 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 16
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 18 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Pontiac is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Illinois.

8.8 Summer - 4.9 Winter

June, September and May are the most pleasant months in Pontiac, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Pontiac, Illinois	United States
	35.7 in.	38.1 in.
	18.2 in.	27.8 in.
	100.4 days	106.2 days
	189 days	205 days
	84.4°	85.8°
	15.5°	21.7°
	7.1	7
	3.6	4.3
	643 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Pontiac with an average high temperature of 84.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Illinois. In Pontiac, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Pontiac are September, June and May.

In Pontiac, there are 16.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Illinois.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Pontiac with an average of 15.5°. This is colder than most places in Illinois.

In Pontiac, there are 127.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Illinois.

In Pontiac, there are 8.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Illinois.

The humidity is usually comfortable in Pontiac but some summer months can be unpleasant. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months in Pontiac are July, August and June.

May is the wettest month in Pontiac with 3.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 31% of yearly precipitation and 16% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 35.7 inches in Pontiac means that it is one of the driest places in Illinois.

May is the rainiest month in Pontiac with 10.3 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 6.3 rainy days. There are 100.4 rainy days annually in Pontiac, which is less rainy than most places in Illinois. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 22% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 18.2 inches in Pontiac means that it is about average compared to other places in Illinois. December is the snowiest month in Pontiac with 5.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.