Photo: Public domain · Public domainA middle-of-the-road climate: Van Buren is close to most U.S. towns on every count
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. Seasons differ by 65°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In January, nights here are colder than in 66% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Van Buren at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Van Buren’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Van Buren’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Van Buren feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marion 2 N, IN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Van Buren’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marion 2 N, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Van Buren
88% 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 Marion 2 N, IN.
Living with Van Buren’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Van Buren from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Van Buren and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Van Buren yet.
Climates most like Van Buren’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren, IN | 19° | 84° | 41" | 25" |
| Uhrichsville, OH | 20° | 84° | 41" | 26" |
| New Castle, PA | 20° | 84° | 42" | 28" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Coal City, IL | 16° | 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 Van Buren averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Van Buren compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Van Buren’s place among Indiana’s.
Van Buren weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Van Buren’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marion 2 N, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 2.7" | 8.1" | 12 | 12 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 38° | 22° | 2.1" | 6.3" | 9 | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.9" | 3.7" | 10 | 3 | 31° – 54° |
| April | 62° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.2" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.5" | 5.0" | 10 | 6 | 18° – 41° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 41.0" | 24.5" | 123 | 30 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Van Buren’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 Van Buren’s center.
- Snow: Marion 2 N, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marion 2 N, IN, 9 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 Van Buren’s climate
What is the weather like in Van Buren?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Van Buren in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 126 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 16°.
How much snow does Van Buren get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Marion 2 N, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in Van Buren?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Marion 2 N, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Van Buren?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 175 frost-free days, at Marion 2 N, IN.
What growing zone is Van Buren in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Van Buren?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Van Buren getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Van Buren.
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.