Smith Township’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Smith Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smith Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smith Township’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Smith Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Columbia City, IN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smith Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Columbia City, IN, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smith Township
90% 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 Columbia City, IN.
Living with Smith Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smith Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smith Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Smith Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Township, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 21" |
| Channahon, IL | 16° | 84° | 38" | 18" |
| Columbiana, OH | 19° | 83° | 41" | 28" |
| Franklin Park, PA | 20° | 83° | 41" | 20" |
| Eldridge, IA | 14° | 84° | 38" | 29" |
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 Smith Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
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 Smith Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smith Township’s place among Indiana’s.
Smith Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smith Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbia City, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.4" | 7.0" | 12 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 1.9" | 6.5" | 9 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 3.0" | 10 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.2" | 10 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.4" | 3.4" | 11 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 38.3" | 21.4" | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 52°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Smith 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 Smith Township’s center.
- Snow: Columbia City, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Columbia City, IN, 8 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 Smith Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Smith Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smith Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Smith Township get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Columbia City, IN, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Smith Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Columbia City, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Smith Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 171 frost-free days, at Columbia City, IN.
What growing zone is Smith Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smith 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 Smith Township 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 Smith 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.