The climate in Preble Township sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 65°. Its January nights bite harder than in 67% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to October brings highs of 64–84°.
A year in Preble Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Preble Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Preble Township’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Preble Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bluffton 6n, IN, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Preble Township’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Decatur 1 N, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Preble Township
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 Bluffton 6n, IN.
Living with Preble Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Preble Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Preble Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Preble Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Preble Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preble Township, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Struthers, OH | 19° | 84° | 41" | 28" |
| New Castle, PA | 20° | 84° | 42" | 28" |
| Frankfort Square, IL | 17° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Preble Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Preble Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Preble Township’s place among Indiana’s.
Preble Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Preble Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Decatur 1 N, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 2.6" | 9.2" | 11 | 14 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 21° | 2.1" | 7.5" | 9 | 11 | 16° – 39° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.7" | 4.2" | 11 | 4 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.1" | 1.2" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.4" | 5.5" | 11 | 8 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 40.2" | 28.1" | 127 | 38 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Preble Township’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 Preble Township’s center.
- Snow: Decatur 1 N, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bluffton 6n, IN, 7 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 Preble Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Preble Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Preble Township in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 126 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 16°.
How much snow does Preble Township get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Decatur 1 N, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 38 days a year.
How hot does it get in Preble Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Bluffton 6n, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Preble Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Bluffton 6n, IN.
What growing zone is Preble Township 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 Preble Township?
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 Preble Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Preble Township.
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.