Nights turn raw in Shorewood Forest each January, colder than in 79% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Winter and summer sit 67° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to October, the months with highs of 63–83°.
A year in Shorewood Forest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shorewood Forest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shorewood Forest’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Shorewood Forest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shorewood Forest’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Valparaiso Wtr Wks, 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 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shorewood Forest
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 Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN.
Living with Shorewood Forest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 25.
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 Shorewood Forest from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shorewood Forest and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shorewood Forest yet.
Climates most like Shorewood Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorewood Forest, IN | 16° | 83° | 39" | 40" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Willard, OH | 18° | 83° | 39" | 33" |
| Elmira, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Davenport, IA | 14° | 84° | 38" | 36" |
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 Shorewood Forest averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Shorewood Forest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shorewood Forest’s place among Indiana’s.
Shorewood Forest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shorewood Forest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.2" | 14.6" | 13 | 14° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.0" | 5.5" | 8 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.3" | 6.7" | 10 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.6" | 1.2" | 11 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 10 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.7" | 2.3" | 11 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 2.2" | 9.4" | 11 | 16° – 40° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 39.0" | 40.0" | 127 |
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 Shorewood Forest’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 Shorewood Forest’s center.
- Snow: Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valparaiso Wtr Wks, 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 Shorewood Forest’s climate
What is the weather like in Shorewood Forest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shorewood Forest in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 124 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 14°.
How much snow does Shorewood Forest get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Shorewood Forest?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Shorewood Forest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 185 frost-free days, at Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN.
What growing zone is Shorewood Forest in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shorewood Forest?
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 Shorewood Forest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shorewood Forest.
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.