Mitchell Opera House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMore precipitation falls on Mitchell than on 82% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Nights in January average 22°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 64°. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Mitchell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mitchell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mitchell’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Mitchell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, IN, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mitchell’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mitchell 6 Ne, IN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mitchell
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, IN.
Living with Mitchell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mitchell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mitchell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mitchell yet.
Climates most like Mitchell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell, IN | 22° | 86° | 49" | 14" |
| Lansdale, PA | 22° | 86° | 49" | 13" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Martinsville, NJ | 22° | 86° | 50" | 21" |
| Bel Air North, MD | 24° | 87° | 47" | 18" |
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 Mitchell averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Mitchell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mitchell’s place among Indiana’s.
Mitchell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mitchell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mitchell 6 Ne, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.6" | 4.1" | 11 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 3.1" | 3.7" | 9 | 22° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.3" | 0.9" | 11 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.7" | 5.3" | 11 | 22° – 45° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 49.3" | 14.0" | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Mitchell’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 Mitchell’s center.
- Snow: Mitchell 6 Ne, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, 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 Mitchell’s climate
What is the weather like in Mitchell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mitchell in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Mitchell get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Mitchell 6 Ne, IN, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Mitchell?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Mitchell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 181 frost-free days, at Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, IN.
What growing zone is Mitchell in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mitchell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mitchell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mitchell.
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.