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Climate in Long Beach · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

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

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 91% of U.S. towns#1Snowiest  of 552 in IN
Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns#251 coldest of 553 in IN
All IN rankings →

A year in Long Beach at a glance

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

Jan33°19° 23" snow
Feb36°22° 16" snow
Mar46°29° 7" snow
Apr58°39° Last frost ~Apr 19
May69°49° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Jun79°59° 3 days 90°+
Jul82°64° 4 days 90°+
Aug81°63° 2 days 90°+
Sep75°56° 1 day 90°+
Oct63°45° First frost ~Oct 27
Nov now49°34° 4" snow
Dec37°25° 14" snow

What stands out about Long Beach’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Long Beach feels like

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

Winter
35° / 22°
20 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
58° / 39°
Last frost around Apr 19
Summer
80° / 62°
10 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 45°
First frost around Oct 27
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 191 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laporte, IN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.

119
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
277th most of 553 in Indiana
More freezing nights than 55% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
216th most of 553 in Indiana
More nights at or below 0° than 71% of U.S. towns
10
days that reach 90°
53rd fewest of 553 in Indiana
Fewer 90° days than 75% 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 Long Beach’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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

3.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 65 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Laporte, 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 148 days a year.

39"
Rain + melted snow a year
61st driest of 553 in Indiana
Drier than 65% of U.S. towns
65"
Snow in a normal winter
The snowiest of 552 in Indiana
More snow than 91% of U.S. towns
50 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
33rd most of 414 in Indiana
More days with snow on the ground than 73% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

23"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Long Beach

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.

6,222 heating degree daysMore heating than 72% of U.S. towns
795 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 Laporte, IN.

Living here

Living with Long Beach’s climate

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

The garden window

191 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 27.

Get outside

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

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Long Beach from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Long Beach and its neighbors

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

Michigan Township: January low 19°, July high 82°Coolspring Township: January low 17°, July high 83°Springfield Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Trail Creek: January low 18°, July high 83°Michiana Shores: January low 19°, July high 82°Michigan City: January low 19°, July high 82°Duneland Beach: January low 19°, July high 82°Long Beach: January low 19°, July high 82°Long BeachMichigan CityDuneland Beach
ColderMilder17° to 19°
Long Beach18.9°
Michigan City18.9° about the same
Duneland Beach18.9° about the same

Climates most like Long Beach’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
Long Beach, IN19°82°39"65"
Broadview Heights, OH20°82°40"65"
Seneca Falls, NY18°82°38"56"
Clearfield, PA18°83°41"63"
Trenton, MI20°83°35"54"

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 Long Beach averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).

+1.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.9°now 29°, was 27°
Spring+1.3°now 48°, was 47°
Summer+0.5°now 71°, was 71°
Fall+0.6°now 53°, was 53°

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 Long Beach compares

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

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. townsThe coolest of 553 in Indiana
Winter cold19° January low
Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns251st coldest of 553 in Indiana
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 65% of U.S. towns61st driest of 553 in Indiana
Snow65" a winter
More snow than 91% of U.S. townsThe snowiest of 552 in Indiana
Hot days10 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 75% of U.S. towns53rd fewest of 553 in Indiana
Freezing nights119 a year
More freezing nights than 55% of U.S. towns277th most of 553 in Indiana
Growing season191 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 58% of U.S. towns119th longest of 553 in Indiana
Month by month

Long Beach weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Long Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Laporte, IN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January33°19°2.4"23.0"171816° – 37°
February36°22°2.0"16.0"131417° – 39°
March46°29°2.3"7.1"13529° – 52°
April58°39°3.5"1.1"13040° – 54°
May69°49°4.2"0.0"13053° – 66°
June79°59°4.1"0.0"11064° – 73°
July82°64°3.9"0.0"10068° – 79°
August81°63°4.0"0.0"10067° – 78°
September75°56°3.4"0.0"10060° – 70°
October63°45°3.6"0.2"12050° – 60°
November49°34°2.7"4.0"13234° – 49°
December37°25°2.4"13.8"151118° – 41°
Year59°42°38.5"65.2"14850
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 Long Beach’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 Long Beach’s center.
  • Snow: Laporte, IN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Laporte, IN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Long Beach’s climate

What is the weather like in Long Beach?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Long Beach in winter?

January nights average 19°. About 119 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 Long Beach get?

About 65 inches in a normal winter at Laporte, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 50 days a year.

How hot does it get in Long Beach?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 64°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Laporte, IN).

When is the first and last frost in Long Beach?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 191 frost-free days, at Laporte, IN.

What growing zone is Long Beach in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.

What is the best time of year to visit Long Beach?

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 Long Beach getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Long Beach.

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.