In Burlington, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 18°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 69% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Plan time outside from May to October, when highs sit at 65–84°.
A year in Burlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burlington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burlington’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Burlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Young America, IN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burlington’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Flora, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Burlington
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Young America, IN.
Living with Burlington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Burlington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burlington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Burlington yet.
Climates most like Burlington’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, IN | 18° | 84° | 42" | 20" |
| Beaver Falls, PA | 20° | 84° | 41" | 20" |
| Bucyrus, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 23" |
| Wheeling, WV | 22° | 84° | 42" | 15" |
| Kinderhook, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Burlington averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Burlington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burlington’s place among Indiana’s.
Burlington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burlington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flora, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 18° | 2.6" | 7.2" | 9 | 9 | 17° – 38° |
| February | 38° | 21° | 2.2" | 5.0" | 9 | 8 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.9" | 3.1" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 54° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 49° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.6" | 4.0" | 10 | 4 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 41.7" | 19.9" | 118 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Burlington’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Burlington’s center.
- Snow: Flora, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Young America, IN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Burlington’s climate
What is the weather like in Burlington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burlington in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Burlington get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Flora, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Burlington?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Young America, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Burlington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 174 frost-free days, at Young America, IN.
What growing zone is Burlington in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burlington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Burlington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burlington.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.