January in South Whitley bites harder than in 73% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 84°. A year here swings 66° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 65% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to October, with highs of 63–84°.
A year in South Whitley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Whitley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Whitley’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in South Whitley 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 South Whitley’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 39 inches a year; June 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 South Whitley
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 South Whitley’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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Whitley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Whitley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Whitley yet.
Climates most like South Whitley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Whitley, IN | 17° | 84° | 39" | 21" |
| Dover, OH | 20° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
| Galesburg, IL | 15° | 84° | 39" | 26" |
| Beaver Falls, PA | 20° | 84° | 41" | 20" |
| Mount Pleasant, IA | 15° | 85° | 38" | 25" |
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 South Whitley averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 South Whitley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Whitley’s place among Indiana’s.
South Whitley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Whitley’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° | 2.5" | 7.0" | 12 | 15° – 37° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.0" | 6.5" | 9 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.5" | 3.0" | 10 | 29° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 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° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.4" | 3.4" | 11 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 38.9" | 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 29° to 53°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where South Whitley’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 South Whitley’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 South Whitley’s climate
What is the weather like in South Whitley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Whitley 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 South Whitley 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 South Whitley?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Columbia City, IN).
When is the first and last frost in South Whitley?
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 South Whitley 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 South Whitley?
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 South Whitley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Whitley.
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.