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Climate in Gilmer Park · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

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

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 83% of U.S. towns#27Snowiest  of 552 in IN
Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns#25 coldest of 553 in IN
All IN rankings →

A year in Gilmer Park at a glance

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

Jan32°17° 17" snow
Feb35°19° 14" snow
Mar47°27° 4" snow
Apr60°37°
May71°48° Last frost ~May 1
Jun80°58° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul83°62° 3 days 90°+
Aug81°60° 1 day 90°+
Sep75°52° 1 day 90°+
Oct62°42° First frost ~Oct 13
Nov now48°32° 4" snow
Dec36°23° 9" snow

What stands out about Gilmer Park’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Gilmer Park feels like

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

Winter
34° / 19°
17 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 37°
Last frost around May 1
Summer
81° / 60°
7 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 42°
First frost around Oct 13
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 163 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lakeville, IN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

140
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8th most of 553 in Indiana
More freezing nights than 76% of U.S. towns
10
nights at or below 0°
9th most of 553 in Indiana
More nights at or below 0° than 84% of U.S. towns
7
days that reach 90°
21st fewest of 553 in Indiana
Fewer 90° days than 84% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
38th fewest of 553 in Indiana
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Gilmer Park’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°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

3.1
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 50 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at South Bend 4.6 Se, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 150 days a year.

40"
Rain + melted snow a year
173rd driest of 553 in Indiana
Drier than 60% of U.S. towns
50"
Snow in a normal winter
27th snowiest of 552 in Indiana
More snow than 83% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

17"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Gilmer Park

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,581 heating degree daysMore heating than 80% of U.S. towns
620 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 76% 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 Lakeville, IN.

Living here

Living with Gilmer Park’s climate

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

The garden window

163 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 13.

Get outside

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 →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gilmer Park from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Gilmer Park and its neighbors

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

Ardmore: January low 17°, July high 83°Mishawaka: January low 17°, July high 83°Notre Dame: January low 18°, July high 83°Portage Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Penn Township: January low 17°, July high 83°South Bend: January low 18°, July high 83°Gilmer Park: January low 17°, July high 83°Gilmer ParkSouth Bend
ColderMilder17° to 18°
Gilmer Park16.6°
South Bend17.5° about the same

Climates most like Gilmer Park’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
Gilmer Park, IN17°83°40"50"
Shelby, OH18°83°40"49"
Owego, NY16°82°40"49"
Scranton, PA17°83°41"45"
Manchester, NH14°83°44"53"

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 Gilmer Park averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).

+1.4°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 52% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.2°now 27°, was 25°
Spring+1.6°now 48°, was 47°
Summer+0.8°now 70°, was 70°
Fall+1.0°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 Gilmer Park compares

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

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns20th coolest of 553 in Indiana
Winter cold17° January low
Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns25th coldest of 553 in Indiana
Precipitation40" a year
Drier than 60% of U.S. towns173rd driest of 553 in Indiana
Snow50" a winter
More snow than 83% of U.S. towns27th snowiest of 552 in Indiana
Hot days7 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 84% of U.S. towns21st fewest of 553 in Indiana
Freezing nights140 a year
More freezing nights than 76% of U.S. towns8th most of 553 in Indiana
Growing season163 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 80% of U.S. towns4th shortest of 553 in Indiana
Month by month

Gilmer Park weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gilmer Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from South Bend 4.6 Se, IN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January32°17°2.7"16.8"1515° – 36°
February35°19°2.3"14.3"1315° – 37°
March47°27°2.4"4.0"1229° – 52°
April60°37°3.6"1.3"1340° – 54°
May71°48°4.2"0.0"1453° – 66°
June80°58°4.3"0.0"1264° – 73°
July83°62°4.0"0.0"1167° – 78°
August81°60°4.1"0.0"1065° – 76°
September75°52°3.5"0.0"1058° – 68°
October62°42°3.6"0.0"1348° – 58°
November48°32°3.0"4.1"1233° – 47°
December36°23°2.6"9.4"1416° – 39°
Year59°40°40.2"49.9"150
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Gilmer Park’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 Gilmer Park’s center.
  • Snow: South Bend 4.6 Se, IN (NOAA station in town).
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lakeville, 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 Gilmer Park’s climate

What is the weather like in Gilmer Park?

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Gilmer Park in winter?

January nights average 17°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.

How much snow does Gilmer Park get?

About 50 inches in a normal winter at South Bend 4.6 Se, IN, most of it in January.

How hot does it get in Gilmer Park?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Lakeville, IN).

When is the first and last frost in Gilmer Park?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 163 frost-free days, at Lakeville, IN.

What growing zone is Gilmer Park 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 Gilmer Park?

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 Gilmer Park getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gilmer Park.

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.