Sterling, IL Weather & Growing Conditions
Local forecast, frost dates, hardiness zone and planting guidance for Sterling, a city in Whiteside County, Illinois.
This Afternoon
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. High near 68, with temperatures falling to around 66 in the afternoon. South wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
7-day forecast for Sterling
| When | Temp | Forecast | Wind | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This Afternoon | 68°F | Showers And Thunderstorms | 15 to 20 mph S | 95% |
| Tonight | 53°F | Showers And Thunderstorms | 15 mph S | 81% |
| Wednesday | 57°F | Chance Rain Showers | 15 mph SW | 36% |
| Wednesday Night | 45°F | Chance Rain Showers | 10 to 15 mph SW | 25% |
| Thursday | 54°F | Chance Rain Showers | 10 to 15 mph W | 51% |
| Thursday Night | 41°F | Chance Rain Showers | 5 to 10 mph NW | 27% |
| Friday | 52°F | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny | 5 to 10 mph N | 15% |
| Friday Night | 33°F | Partly Cloudy | 0 to 5 mph N | 4% |
| Saturday | 52°F | Mostly Sunny | 0 to 5 mph W | 5% |
| Saturday Night | 33°F | Partly Cloudy | 0 to 5 mph W | 4% |
| Sunday | 57°F | Sunny | 5 to 10 mph W | 9% |
| Sunday Night | 34°F | Mostly Clear | 0 to 5 mph W | 2% |
| Monday | 62°F | Sunny | 0 to 10 mph SW | 1% |
| Monday Night | 38°F | Mostly Clear | 0 to 5 mph W | 1% |
Forecast source: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov) for Sterling (41.800, -89.696). Updated through the day.
Growing snapshot for Sterling
Last spring frost
Apr 26
First fall frost
Oct 13
Growing season
167 days
Hardiness zone
5b
More local growing data for Sterling: nearby ZIP 61037 weather · frost dates · planting calendar · Illinois frost dates
Nearby towns & communities
Climate data from the nearest NOAA station, Morrison, Il (10.7 mi from Sterling). Frost dates are 1991–2020 averages, not a forecast. Page updated Nov 3, 2026.