Nights turn raw in Chain-O-Lakes each January, colder than in 73% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 83°. Seasons differ by 66°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 69% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Chain-O-Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chain-O-Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chain-O-Lakes’ place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Chain-O-Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chain-O-Lakes’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chain-O-Lakes
90% 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 South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport.
Living with Chain-O-Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chain-O-Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chain-O-Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chain-O-Lakes yet.
Climates most like Chain-O-Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain-O-Lakes, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Girard, OH | 19° | 83° | 41" | 68" |
| Troy, NY | 16° | 84° | 41" | 59" |
| Salem, NH | 16° | 84° | 46" | 58" |
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 Chain-O-Lakes averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Chain-O-Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chain-O-Lakes’ place among Indiana’s.
Chain-O-Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chain-O-Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.7" | 21.6" | 17 | 20 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.2" | 16.1" | 13 | 14 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 6.8" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.1" | 13 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.5" | 13.7" | 15 | 10 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 40.1" | 64.5" | 148 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Chain-O-Lakes’ 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 Chain-O-Lakes’ center.
- Snow: South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, 4 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 Chain-O-Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Chain-O-Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chain-O-Lakes in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Chain-O-Lakes get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chain-O-Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Chain-O-Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 170 frost-free days, at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Chain-O-Lakes in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chain-O-Lakes?
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 Chain-O-Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chain-O-Lakes.
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.