Nights turn raw in Clear Lake each January, colder than in 79% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 78% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.3° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Clear Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clear Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clear Lake’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Clear Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Angola, IN, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clear Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Angola, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clear Lake
92% 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 Angola, IN.
Living with Clear Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clear Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clear Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clear Lake yet.
Climates most like Clear Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Lake, IN | 16° | 82° | 38" | 39" |
| Libertyville, IL | 16° | 83° | 37" | 43" |
| Elmira, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Clear Lake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Clear Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clear Lake’s place among Indiana’s.
Clear Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clear Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Angola, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 2.5" | 11.8" | 13 | 18 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 2.1" | 10.3" | 11 | 15 | 12° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.4" | 5.3" | 11 | 7 | 26° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.0" | 2.3" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 36° | 22° | 2.4" | 8.1" | 12 | 10 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 38.1" | 38.9" | 129 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Clear Lake’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 Clear Lake’s center.
- Snow: Angola, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Angola, IN, 11 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 Clear Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Clear Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clear Lake in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Clear Lake get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Angola, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clear Lake?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Angola, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Clear Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 167 frost-free days, at Angola, IN.
What growing zone is Clear Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clear Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Clear Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clear Lake.
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.