January in Lake Eliza bites harder than in 80% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. Only 67° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 71% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Lake Eliza at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Eliza’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Eliza’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Lake Eliza feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 13. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valparaiso Porter Co Muni Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Wanatah 2 Wnw, IN, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Eliza’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crown Pt 1n, 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 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Eliza
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 Wanatah 2 Wnw, IN.
Living with Lake Eliza’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Eliza from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Eliza and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Eliza yet.
Climates most like Lake Eliza’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Eliza, IN | 16° | 83° | 39" | 27" |
| Bucyrus, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 23" |
| Galesburg, IL | 15° | 84° | 39" | 26" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Eldridge, IA | 14° | 84° | 38" | 29" |
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 Lake Eliza averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Lake Eliza compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Eliza’s place among Indiana’s.
Lake Eliza weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Eliza’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crown Pt 1n, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.2" | 10.3" | 10 | 12 | 14° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.0" | 6.3" | 8 | 9 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 4.3" | 10 | 3 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.7" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 2.2" | 4.7" | 9 | 5 | 16° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 39.4" | 26.6" | 112 | 29 |
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 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lake Eliza’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 Lake Eliza’s center.
- Snow: Crown Pt 1n, IN.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Wanatah 2 Wnw, IN, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Valparaiso Porter Co Muni Airport, 9 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 Lake Eliza’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Eliza?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Eliza in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Lake Eliza get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Crown Pt 1n, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 29 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Eliza?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Wanatah 2 Wnw, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Eliza?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 166 frost-free days, at Wanatah 2 Wnw, IN.
What growing zone is Lake Eliza in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Eliza?
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 Lake Eliza getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Eliza.
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.