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Climate in Union Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Union Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns#9 coldest of 552 in IN
More snow than 57% of U.S. towns#167Snowiest  of 551 in IN
All IN rankings →

A year in Union Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan32°16° 10" snow
Feb36°20° 6" snow
Mar47°28° 4" snow
Apr60°38° Last frost ~Apr 22
May71°48° Wettest
Jun80°58° 2 days 90°+
Jul83°63° 4 days 90°+
Aug81°61° 2 days 90°+
Sep76°53° 1 day 90°+
Oct63°42° First frost ~Oct 25
Nov now48°32°
Dec37°22° 5" snow

What stands out about Union Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Union Township’s place in Indiana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Union Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
35° / 19°
8 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 38°
Last frost around Apr 22
Summer
82° / 61°
9 days reach 90°
Fall
63° / 42°
First frost around Oct 25
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

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, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.

124
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
230th most of 552 in Indiana
More freezing nights than 61% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
237th most of 552 in Indiana
More nights at or below 0° than 71% of U.S. towns
9
days that reach 90°
31st fewest of 552 in Indiana
Fewer 90° days than 79% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Union Township’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°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

3.7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 27 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Crown Pt 1n, 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 112 days a year.

39"
Rain + melted snow a year
89th driest of 552 in Indiana
Drier than 64% of U.S. towns
27"
Snow in a normal winter
167th snowiest of 551 in Indiana
More snow than 57% of U.S. towns
29 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
200th most of 413 in Indiana
More days with snow on the ground than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Union 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.

6,038 heating degree daysMore heating than 67% of U.S. towns
778 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 62% of U.S. towns

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 here

Living with Union Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Union Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Union Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Union Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Center Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Crown Point: January low 16°, July high 83°Calumet Township: January low 18°, July high 83°St. John Township: January low 17°, July high 84°Winfield: January low 16°, July high 83°Winfield Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Gary: January low 19°, July high 83°Ross: January low 17°, July high 84°Portage: January low 19°, July high 83°Westchester Township: January low 19°, July high 82°Burns Harbor: January low 18°, July high 83°Liberty Township: January low 17°, July high 83°Washington Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Lake Station: January low 18°, July high 83°New Chicago: January low 18°, July high 83°Boone Township: January low 17°, July high 84°Morgan Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Ross Township: January low 17°, July high 83°Portage Township: January low 17°, July high 83°Merrillville: January low 17°, July high 83°Center Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Hobart: January low 17°, July high 83°Hobart Township: January low 18°, July high 83°Porter Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Union Township: January low 16°, July high 83°Union TownshipRoss TownshipPortage TownshipMerrillvilleCenter TownshipHobartHobart TownshipPorter Township
ColderMilder16° to 19°
Center Township16.0° about the same
Porter Township16.3° about the same
Union Township16.4°
Ross Township16.6° about the same
Merrillville16.6° about the same
Hobart16.9° about the same
Portage Township17.3° about the same
Hobart Township17.5° +1.1°

Climates most like Union 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Union Township, IN16°83°39"27"
Bucyrus, OH18°83°40"23"
Galesburg, IL15°84°39"26"
Eldridge, IA14°84°38"29"
Sayre, PA17°84°37"35"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Union Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).

+1.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 64% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.0°now 27°, was 25°
Spring+1.3°now 49°, was 47°
Summer+0.6°now 71°, was 70°
Fall+0.8°now 52°, was 52°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Union Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Union Township’s place among Indiana’s.

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns50th coolest of 552 in Indiana
Winter cold16° January low
Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns9th coldest of 552 in Indiana
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 64% of U.S. towns89th driest of 552 in Indiana
Snow27" a winter
More snow than 57% of U.S. towns167th snowiest of 551 in Indiana
Hot days9 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 79% of U.S. towns31st fewest of 552 in Indiana
Freezing nights124 a year
More freezing nights than 61% of U.S. towns230th most of 552 in Indiana
Growing season185 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 50% of U.S. towns331st shortest of 552 in Indiana
Month by month

Union Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Union Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crown Pt 1n, IN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January32°16°2.2"10.3"101214° – 36°
February36°20°2.0"6.3"8916° – 38°
March47°28°2.3"4.3"10329° – 52°
April60°38°3.6"0.6"10040° – 54°
May71°48°4.4"0.0"12054° – 66°
June80°58°4.4"0.0"10064° – 74°
July83°63°4.0"0.0"9067° – 78°
August81°61°4.3"0.0"9066° – 77°
September76°53°3.4"0.0"8059° – 69°
October63°42°3.6"0.0"10049° – 59°
November48°32°2.7"0.4"9033° – 48°
December37°22°2.2"4.7"9516° – 40°
Year60°40°39.0"26.6"11229
Year to year

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°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Union 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 Union Township’s center.
  • Snow: Crown Pt 1n, IN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Union Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Union Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Union Township 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 Union Township get?

About 27 inches in a normal winter at Crown Pt 1n, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 29 days a year.

How hot does it get in Union Township?

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 Union Township?

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 Union Township 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 Union 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 Union Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Union Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.