Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Rock Island, Illinois Weather

Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Rock Island weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Rock Island, IL
Saturday, July 4 at 10:15 AM
77
°
Overcast
Feels like
86°
Humidity
86%
Wind
3 mph
Sunrise
12:34 AM
Sunset
3:39 PM
Rock Island, IL
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastRock Island, IL: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 68 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit with a 31% chance of precipitation at 1 PM.
L 68°H 83°
Rock Island, IL
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    40%
    —
    83°67°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    21%
    —
    86°68°+3°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Light Drizzle
    —
    —
    82°64°-4°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Clear
    —
    —
    81°62°-1°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Overcast
    10%
    —
    84°63°+3°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Thunderstorm
    36%
    —
    81°69°-3°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Overcast
    23%
    —
    80°65°-1°
Rock Island, IL
Next 24 hours · Mild now
64°76°88°6a12p6p12anow 77°high 83°low 68°PRECIP %
Rock Island, IL
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
ESE
117° · backing 170°
Direction
ESE
117°
Sustained
3
mph
Gust
5
mph
Peak 24h
25
avg 6
Beaufort · 1 · LIGHT AIR
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 6 · pk 25 @ 8:00p
010MPHB1B2B3B4-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 116SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Rock Island, IL
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
993.2
+0.5 mb in 3h · steady · 29.33 inHg
Now
993.2
mb
3h
+0.5
mb
12h
-1.0
mb
24h
-3.4
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 991–997
9859909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW996.5991.4993.1
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Deep low — expect rough seas, strong wind, and persistent rain.
Rock Island, IL
Air quality
26
AQI
Good
→0 in 6h▲Peak ~38 @ 9 PM

AQI 26 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). Ozone at AQI 36. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~86%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 9 PM.

PM 2.5Good
6.1μg/m³
PM 10Good
8μg/m³
NO₂Good
5μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERModerate
77μg/m³
UV IndexModerate
2.2

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 36. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~86%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.

Present
AQI 36
UV peak
3.1 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
overcast
Projected peak
AQI 7

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 6.1 µg/m³ (AQI 34) with a 0.79 fine-to-coarse ratio and 3 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.79
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Rock Island, IL
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
33.2mi
UNLIMITED
52 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
15:15 UTC · Rock Island, IL · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
15:15 UTC · Rock Island, IL · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Rock Island, IL
Satellite · infrared · animated
Rock Island, IL
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Rock Island, IL
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
5:01 AM
Sunrise
12:34 AM
Daylight
15h 05m
Sunset
3:39 PM
Civil dusk
9:14 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Rock Island, IL
The moon
Waning Gibbous
81% illuminated
Moonrise
10:58 PM
Moonset
10:07 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Rock Island, IL
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

bird
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Rock Island at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 7°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: April 25 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP code: 61201

16-Day Forecast — Rock Island

  1. Sat83°67°40%
  2. Sun86°68°21%
  3. Mon82°64°3%
  4. Tue81°62°1%
  5. Wed84°63°10%
  6. Thu81°69°36%
  7. Fri80°65°23%
  8. Sat85°66°16%
  9. Sun69°60°9%
  10. Mon76°56°8%
  11. Tue78°61°7%
  12. Wed81°66°15%
  13. Thu82°67°19%
  14. Fri82°69°20%
  15. Sat86°70°23%
  16. Sun86°72°29%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Rock Island

SPC has placed Rock Island in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.

  • TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • DAY 3NONENo severe risk

Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

January 1–5: Winter settles deep on the plains.January 6–10: Arctic cold grips the heartland.January 11–15: Sunlight returns to the sloped terrain.January 16–20: Ring-necked pheasants call from cover.January 21–25: Deepest cold locks the prairie.January 26–31: Deep winter's pivot point.February 1–5: February's first breath.February 6–10: Subtle shifts in the light.February 11–15: Bald eagles concentrate on open water.February 16–20: Cold rebound before the final thaw.February 21–25: First killdeer return to thawed fields.February 26–28: Winter's veil grows thin.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the land.March 6–10: Hibernators wake to open air.March 11–15: Spring arrives with fury and grace.March 16–20: Sandhill Cranes Rise from the Platte.March 21–25: Equinox — Night and Day Hold Balance.March 26–31: First Green Breaks Through Brown Earth.April 1–5: Thunder Voices Wake the Prairie.April 6–10: Cliff Swallows Return to Mud Nests.April 11–15: Wild Geese Wing North in Massive Flocks.April 16–20: Rainbows Follow Afternoon Storms.April 21–25: Prairie Sedges Push Through Wet Soil.April 26–30: Last Frost Retreats North.May 1–5: Wildflowers Erupt Across the Prairie.May 6–10: Grain Rains Feed the Growing Fields.May 11–15: Seedlings Rise From Frost-Free Soil.May 16–20: Roses Bloom Along the Shelter Rows.May 21–25: Summer Arrives Early in Wind and Heat.May 26–31: Frogs Begin Their Nightly Chorus.June 1–5: Prairie lightning bugs rise.June 6–10: Earthworms surface after rain.June 11–15: Toward the solstice glow.June 16–20: Lesser ripening, greater heat.June 21–25: Solstice—sun at zenith.June 26–30: Fireflies in the darkening oak.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Warm wind sweeps the tallgrass.July 11–15: Thunder builds every afternoon.July 16–20: Corn tassels and reaches peak.July 21–25: Dog days settle in haze.July 26–31: Katydid chorus erupts at dusk.August 1–5: Great rains sometimes fall.August 6–10: Autumn's edge approaches.August 11–15: Cool wind rises from the north.August 16–20: Late summer wind through tallgrass.August 21–25: Dew settles on the tallgrass.August 26–31: Monarchs gather on prairie.September 1–5: Corn tassels and heavy skies.September 6–10: Purple asters rise on the prairie.September 11–15: Hawks ride thermal currents south.September 16–20: Equinox brings balance to day.September 21–25: Thunder stills across the plains.September 26–30: Snow geese wheel through the flyway.October 1–5: Prairie enters dormancy slowly.October 6–10: Geese gather on autumn waters.October 11–15: First widespread freeze arrives.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Frost deepens through the night.October 26–31: Light rains fall on frozen ground.November 1–5: Tallgrass turns gold.November 6–10: North wind strips the oak.November 11–15: Frost locks the prairie.November 16–20: Open sky grows cold.November 21–25: First snow falls soft.November 26–30: Blizzard drives the herds.December 1–5: Deep winter takes hold.December 6–10: Sky closes cold, winter reigns.December 11–15: Darkness deepens, life retreats.December 16–20: Rivers turn to stone.December 21–25: Solstice — sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

Millions of periodical and annual cicadas emerge, their droning chorus filling the summer heat; the soundtrack of midsummer settles over prairie and wetland.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

In Rock Island, July runs warmest near 76°F and January coldest around 23°F, while June is the wettest month (5.0 inches) and January the driest (1.7 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January23°1.7″5
February28°1.8″5
March40°2.6″6
April51°3.8″7
May63°4.7″8
June72°5.0″8
July76°4.2″6
August73°4.0″6
September66°3.3″5
October54°2.8″5
November40°2.3″5
December29°2.0″5

Regional context

Per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Rock Island runs from a 23°F January mean to 76°F in July, a 52°F seasonal spread, with near 38.3 inches of precipitation across about 69 wet days.

Precipitation in Rock Island runs summer-dominant: June averages 5.0 inches across 7.7 days of warm-season storms, while January drops to 1.7 inches over 4.5 rainy days of drier cool air. It is a warm-season-wet pattern Rock Island shares with places like Milan, IL, Rock Island Arsenal, IL and Oak Grove, IL.

Once Rock Island passes mid-April, overnight freezes fade and kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips can be sown. Rock Island's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Rock Island's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. By mid-November, frost is back in Rock Island — protect or harvest anything tender. A creek-bottom lot in Rock Island can lag Rock Island's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.

Similar climates: Milan, IL, Rock Island Arsenal, IL, Oak Grove, IL, Moline, IL, Coyne Center, IL.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Rock Island?
Frost typically leaves Rock Island by mid-April and returns to Rock Island near mid-November.
What is the rainy season in Rock Island?
June is the wettest month in Rock Island, about 5.0 inches on average; the year totals roughly 38 inches.
What is the warmest month in Rock Island?
Rock Island peaks in July, when the mean runs near 76°F.
What is the coldest month in Rock Island?
January is Rock Island's coldest month, averaging about 23°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Rock Island?
Hardy spring crops go in near mid-April in Rock Island; tender peppers and squash wait 10–14 days.
How many rainy days does Rock Island get?
Rock Island records around 69 days of measurable precipitation annually.
What hardiness zone is Rock Island?
With January around 23°F, Rock Island's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Rock Island's band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Rock Island?
Rock Island's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Rock Island?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Rock Island in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Rock Island?
Current conditions for Rock Island and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Rock Island forecast updated?
The Rock Island forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Rock Island?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Rock Island are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Rock Island?
The next few days in Rock Island's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

The warm-summer humid continental climate of Rock Island, Illinois carries typical Januarys near 23°F and Julys around 76°F — 53°F of seasonal travel.

Rain and snow bring Rock Island roughly 38 inches a year across approximately 69 measurable-precipitation days.

Rock Island sits at 41.5°N; that 53°F seasonal swing frames planting windows and frost dates across Rock Island.

All cities in Illinois →

Davenport, IA weather →

ZIP codes in Rock Island

  • 61201
  • 61204

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.