Nelson, Illinois Weather
Nelson, Illinois — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, aviation weather, radar and satellite imagery, soil and crop conditions for Nelson, Lee County.
Flight conditions near Nelson. Data source: locating…
Soil conditions, frost risk and crop weather for Nelson.
About Nelson, Illinois
Nelson unfolds across a landscape that whispers of the prairie's vast, unhurried breath. It lies 41.9 miles south-west of Rockford, IL (from Rockford, IL: bearing 219°T), and is situated 6.9 miles west-south-west of Dixon. Gentle swells of land, softened by decades of cultivation, roll towards a horizon often painted in the pale golds and soft lavenders of a western Illinois sky. The air here carries a particular cleanness, a scent of rich earth mingled with the distant, sweet perfume of ripening corn and soybeans. Along the low-lying areas, where the land dips to meet its watery obligations, a subtle verdancy asserts itself, a testament to the moisture that nourishes the fields and sustains the quiet dignity of this agricultural heartland. The story of Nelson is one of quiet persistence, its roots reaching back to the determined settlers who first charted these fertile plains. The local economy, deeply entwined with the fortunes of the soil, continues to thrive on the bounty of its surrounding farms, a familiar rhythm of planting and harvest dictating the pulse of daily life. While Nelson itself may not boast grand monuments, its character is defined by the sturdy, unpretentious farmsteads and the enduring spirit of a community built on shared endeavor and a profound connection to the land. The nearby Rock River, a silver thread stitching through the broader region, offers a constant, murmuring presence, a reminder of the natural forces that have shaped and continue to sustain Nelson.
Live animated radar for Nelson and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Nelson, Lee County, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41.796421°N, 89.601772°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 61021, 61071 |
| Area Code | 847, 224 |
| Page generated | July 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Nelson, Illinois Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Nelson, Illinois, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, real-time aviation weather (live METAR and TAF reports from the nearest reporting airport, with a modeled estimate shown when no station is in range), precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Nelson includes coordinates 41.796421°N, 89.601772°W, situated in Lee County. ZIP code 61021, 61071. Telephone area code: 847, 224. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. Aviation data is sourced from aviationweather.gov (NOAA), with a modeled estimate used where no nearby reporting station is available. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
