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Climate in Dunlap · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Dunlap’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 79% of U.S. towns#34Snowiest  of 552 in IN
Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns#88 coldest of 553 in IN
All IN rankings →

A year in Dunlap at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan32°17° 14" snow
Feb35°19° 11" snow
Mar47°28° 5" snow
Apr60°37° Last frost ~Apr 26
May71°49° Wettest
Jun80°58° 3 days 90°+
Jul84°62° 5 days 90°+
Aug81°60° 2 days 90°+
Sep75°53° 1 day 90°+
Oct63°42° First frost ~Oct 21
Nov now48°32° 3" snow
Dec37°23° 10" snow

What stands out about Dunlap’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dunlap’s place in Indiana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Dunlap feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
35° / 20°
15 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 38°
Last frost around Apr 26
Summer
82° / 60°
12 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 42°
First frost around Oct 21
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 175 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Goshen 3sw, IN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.

125
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
210th most of 553 in Indiana
More freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
168th most of 553 in Indiana
More nights at or below 0° than 73% of U.S. towns
12
days that reach 90°
104th fewest of 553 in Indiana
Fewer 90° days than 69% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
193rd fewest of 553 in Indiana
Fewer 100° days than 56% of U.S. towns
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Dunlap’s 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°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.5
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 45 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Goshen 3sw, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.

39"
Rain + melted snow a year
71st driest of 553 in Indiana
Drier than 65% of U.S. towns
45"
Snow in a normal winter
34th snowiest of 552 in Indiana
More snow than 79% of U.S. towns
48 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
50th most of 414 in Indiana
More days with snow on the ground than 72% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

14"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Dunlap

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.

6,116 heating degree daysMore heating than 70% of U.S. towns
793 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 61% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Goshen 3sw, IN.

Living here

Living with Dunlap’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

175 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 21.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dunlap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Dunlap and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Dunlap in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Simonton Lake: January low 17°, July high 83°Concord Township: January low 17°, July high 84°Baugo Township: January low 17°, July high 84°Washington Township: January low 17°, July high 84°Jefferson Township: January low 17°, July high 83°Elkhart: January low 17°, July high 83°Goshen: January low 17°, July high 83°Dunlap: January low 17°, July high 84°DunlapElkhartGoshen
ColderMilder17° to 17°
Dunlap17.1°
Goshen17.2° about the same
Elkhart17.3° about the same

Climates most like Dunlap’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Dunlap, IN17°84°39"45"
Taylor, PA18°83°40"45"
Ashland, OH19°83°39"49"
Southport, NY16°83°36"42"
Davenport, IA14°84°38"36"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Dunlap averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).

+1.5°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 56% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.2°now 27°, was 25°
Spring+1.7°now 49°, was 47°
Summer+0.8°now 71°, was 70°
Fall+1.1°now 52°, was 51°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Dunlap compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dunlap’s place among Indiana’s.

Summer heat84° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns118th coolest of 553 in Indiana
Winter cold17° January low
Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns88th coldest of 553 in Indiana
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 65% of U.S. towns71st driest of 553 in Indiana
Snow45" a winter
More snow than 79% of U.S. towns34th snowiest of 552 in Indiana
Hot days12 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 69% of U.S. towns104th fewest of 553 in Indiana
Freezing nights125 a year
More freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns210th most of 553 in Indiana
Growing season175 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 64% of U.S. towns141st shortest of 553 in Indiana
Month by month

Dunlap weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dunlap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Goshen 3sw, IN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January32°17°2.5"13.8"131815° – 36°
February35°19°2.2"11.4"111414° – 38°
March47°28°2.3"5.4"11529° – 52°
April60°37°3.6"1.2"12041° – 54°
May71°49°4.2"0.0"12053° – 66°
June80°58°4.1"0.0"11064° – 73°
July84°62°3.9"0.0"10068° – 79°
August81°60°3.9"0.0"10066° – 76°
September75°53°3.3"0.0"9059° – 68°
October63°42°3.4"0.1"11049° – 59°
November48°32°2.9"3.4"12233° – 47°
December37°23°2.5"9.9"121016° – 40°
Year59°40°38.7"45.2"13448
Year to year

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°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Dunlap’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 Dunlap’s center.
  • Snow: Goshen 3sw, IN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goshen 3sw, IN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Dunlap’s climate

What is the weather like in Dunlap?

A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Dunlap in winter?

January nights average 17°. About 125 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 15°.

How much snow does Dunlap get?

About 45 inches in a normal winter at Goshen 3sw, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.

How hot does it get in Dunlap?

July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Goshen 3sw, IN).

When is the first and last frost in Dunlap?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 175 frost-free days, at Goshen 3sw, IN.

What growing zone is Dunlap 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 Dunlap?

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 Dunlap getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dunlap.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.