Editing Rockford, Illinois (section)

==Geography==
According to the 2010 census, Rockford has an area of {{convert|61.949|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|61.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 98.6%) is land and {{convert|0.869|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 1.4%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1765000  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1  |access-date=December 27, 2015|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213055426/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1765000  |archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead  }}</ref> Located primarily in [[Winnebago County, Illinois|Winnebago County]], a portion extends into neighboring [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle County]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Beacon - Ogle County, IL - Map|url=https://beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=71&LayerID=592&PageTypeID=1&PageID=953|website=Beacon|access-date=February 12, 2025}}</ref> Rockford is approximately 90 miles west-northwest of downtown [[Chicago]], and 70 miles south-southeast of [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]].

===Waterways===
[[File:Fordham Dam Rockford IL.jpg|thumb|Fordham Dam across Rock River]]

The [[Rock River (Illinois)|Rock River]] forms the traditional center of Rockford and is its most recognizable natural feature.  One of its largest tributaries, the [[Kishwaukee River]], joins the Rock River at the southern end of the city near the Rockford airport.  Since the 1946 closure of Camp Grant, much of the length of Kishwaukee has been redeveloped into parkland and forest preserves, effectively forming the southern border of the city.  Other waterways that feed into the Rock River include Spring Creek (northeast region), Keith Creek (east region), and Kent Creek (west region).  Of the 8 Illinois dams of the Rock River, the Fordham dam is located south of downtown.

===Climate===
Summers are usually hot and humid with the average high temperature in July (the hottest month) being {{convert|83.9|°F}}.<ref name=nws/><ref name=NCEI/> The winter months can bring bitterly cold Arctic air masses. The average high temperature in January (the coldest month) is {{convert|29.1|°F}}.<ref name=nws/><ref name=NCEI/> June is Rockford's wettest month while January is the driest. During a typical year, Rockford receives {{convert|37.24|in|mm|abbr=on}} of precipitation.<ref name=nws/><ref name=NCEI/>

Rockford and surrounding areas are prone to violent [[thunderstorm]]s during March, April, May, and June. On [[1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak|April 21, 1967]], a violent [[Fujita scale|F4]] [[tornado]] struck the neighboring town of [[Belvidere, Illinois|Belvidere]], killing twenty-four people and injuring hundreds more at Belvidere's High School. Other severe weather events, such as [[hail]] and strong winds are common in these storms. On July 5, 2003, at 04:13, a line of severe storms and their associated high winds caused widespread damage on both the east and west sides of Rockford.<ref name="Rockford Wind Event">{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/lot/2003_jul5_winds |title=Damaging Winds at Rockford and Around Chicagoland |publisher=National Weather Service |date=2003}}</ref> Approximately 70,000 people were without power, with many on the west side suffering in the heat without electricity for a week. It took months to clear the damage, but because the storm struck so early in the morning there were no injuries or fatalities. However, these sometimes violent storms bring the majority of summer rainfall.

The city is also prone to severe [[snow]]storms in winter, and [[blizzard]]s are frequent winter occurrences. On January 13, 1979, over 9 inches (23&nbsp;cm) of snow fell on Rockford in just a few hours during one of the strongest blizzards in the city's history. The city averages approximately 36 inches (91.4&nbsp;cm) of snowfall in a normal winter, but greater amounts are common. The snowiest winter in the history of the city was the winter of 1978–1979, when {{convert|74.5|in|cm|0}} of snow fell.

The record high temperature is {{convert|112|°F|0}}, set on [[1936 North American heat wave|July 14, 1936]] during the [[Dust Bowl]],<ref name="Jul Averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/daily/USIL1013?climoMonth=7 |title=July Daily Averages for Rockford, IL |publisher=The Weather Channel |date=February 27, 2012 }}</ref> and the record low temperature is {{convert|−31|°F|0|abbr=}}, set on [[January 2019 North American cold wave|January 31, 2019]].<ref name="Jan Averages">{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/lot/RecordColdJan2019|title=Historic Record Cold Temperatures Across Northern Illinois|date=February 27, 2012|publisher=The Weather Channel}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = Rockford, Illinois ([[Chicago Rockford International Airport]]) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 63
| Feb record high F = 78
| Mar record high F = 85
| Apr record high F = 93
| May record high F = 106
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 112
| Aug record high F = 104
| Sep record high F = 103
| Oct record high F = 91
| Nov record high F = 81
| Dec record high F = 69
| year record high F = 112
| Jan avg record high F = 49.7
| Feb avg record high F = 53.7
| Mar avg record high F = 70.2
| Apr avg record high F = 80.8
| May avg record high F = 88.0
| Jun avg record high F = 92.7
| Jul avg record high F = 93.4
| Aug avg record high F = 92.4
| Sep avg record high F = 89.6
| Oct avg record high F = 82.3
| Nov avg record high F = 66.7
| Dec avg record high F = 53.9
| year avg record high F = 95.4
| Jan high F = 29.1
| Feb high F = 33.4
| Mar high F = 46.5
| Apr high F = 59.7
| May high F = 71.2
| Jun high F = 80.7
| Jul high F = 83.9
| Aug high F = 82.0
| Sep high F = 75.3
| Oct high F = 62.3
| Nov high F = 47.1
| Dec high F = 34.3
| year high F = 58.8
| Jan mean F = 21.8
| Feb mean F = 25.6
| Mar mean F = 37.3
| Apr mean F = 49.1
| May mean F = 60.4
| Jun mean F = 70.1
| Jul mean F = 73.8
| Aug mean F = 71.9
| Sep mean F = 64.4
| Oct mean F = 52.0
| Nov mean F = 38.8
| Dec mean F = 27.3
| year mean F = 49.4
| Jan low F = 14.5
| Feb low F = 17.8
| Mar low F = 28.1
| Apr low F = 38.5
| May low F = 49.5
| Jun low F = 59.6
| Jul low F = 63.6
| Aug low F = 61.8
| Sep low F = 53.5
| Oct low F = 41.8
| Nov low F = 30.5
| Dec low F = 20.2
| year low F = 40.0
| Jan avg record low F = −9.6
| Feb avg record low F = −3.8
| Mar avg record low F = 8.4
| Apr avg record low F = 23.5
| May avg record low F = 34.3
| Jun avg record low F = 46.2
| Jul avg record low F = 52.8
| Aug avg record low F = 51.3
| Sep avg record low F = 38.0
| Oct avg record low F = 26.1
| Nov avg record low F = 13.8
| Dec avg record low F = −1.2
| year avg record low F = -13.9
| Jan record low F = −31
| Feb record low F = −25
| Mar record low F = −11
| Apr record low F = 5
| May record low F = 24
| Jun record low F = 35
| Jul record low F = 43
| Aug record low F = 35
| Sep record low F = 24
| Oct record low F = 7
| Nov record low F = −10
| Dec record low F = −24
| year record low F = -31
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 1.60
| Feb precipitation inch = 1.63
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.40
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.75
| May precipitation inch = 4.18
| Jun precipitation inch = 5.23
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.81
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.19
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.62
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.63
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.27
| Dec precipitation inch = 1.93
| year precipitation inch = 37.24
| Jan snow inch = 10.9
| Feb snow inch = 8.5
| Mar snow inch = 4.9
| Apr snow inch = 0.9
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.2
| Nov snow inch = 2.3
| Dec snow inch = 9.4
| year snow inch = 37.1
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 10.1
| Feb precipitation days = 8.7
| Mar precipitation days = 10.8
| Apr precipitation days = 11.8
| May precipitation days = 12.9
| Jun precipitation days = 11.4
| Jul precipitation days = 9.1
| Aug precipitation days = 9.3
| Sep precipitation days = 8.4
| Oct precipitation days = 9.6
| Nov precipitation days = 8.8
| Dec precipitation days = 9.8
| year precipitation days = 120.7
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 8.2
| Feb snow days = 6.5
| Mar snow days = 3.9
| Apr snow days = 0.9
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.2
| Nov snow days = 1.6
| Dec snow days = 6.8
| year snow days = 28.1

|Jan snow depth inch = 7.2
|Feb snow depth inch = 6.7
|Mar snow depth inch = 4.1
|Apr snow depth inch = 0.4
|May snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0
|Oct snow depth inch = 0.1
|Nov snow depth inch = 1.6
|Dec snow depth inch = 5.7
|year snow depth inch = 10.9

| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=lot
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094822&format=pdf
| title = Station: Rockford GTR Rockford AP, IL
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 11, 2021}}</ref>
}}