Photo: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Scotland tops that of 81% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Scotland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Scotland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Scotland’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Scotland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crane Nsa, IN, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Scotland’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elliston, IN, falls mostly in January. 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 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Scotland
78% 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 Crane Nsa, IN.
Living with Scotland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Scotland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Scotland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Scotland yet.
Climates most like Scotland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland, IN | 21° | 86° | 49" | 8.9" |
| Maysville, KY | 23° | 86° | 48" | 8.8" |
| Maple Glen, PA | 23° | 87° | 49" | 7.6" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Park Hills, MO | 22° | 87° | 46" | 8.7" |
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 Scotland averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Scotland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Scotland’s place among Indiana’s.
Scotland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Scotland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elliston, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.6" | 3.5" | 9 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 2.7" | 2.3" | 8 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 3.9" | 1.0" | 9 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.5" | 1.9" | 9 | 20° – 44° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 49.0" | 8.9" | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Scotland’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 Scotland’s center.
- Snow: Elliston, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crane Nsa, IN, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Scotland’s climate
What is the weather like in Scotland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Scotland in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 98 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Scotland get?
About 8.9 inches in a normal winter at Elliston, IN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Scotland?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Crane Nsa, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Scotland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 202 frost-free days, at Crane Nsa, IN.
What growing zone is Scotland in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Scotland?
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 Scotland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Scotland.
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.