Elsmere’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Elsmere at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elsmere’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elsmere’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Elsmere feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elsmere’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elsmere
81% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport.
Living with Elsmere’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elsmere from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elsmere and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elsmere in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elsmere’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsmere, KY | 23° | 85° | 47" | 23" |
| Clarksburg, WV | 23° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
| Palmyra, PA | 22° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
| Westminster, MD | 22° | 86° | 45" | 28" |
| Floral Park, NY | 25° | 86° | 46" | 26" |
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 Elsmere averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Elsmere compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elsmere’s place among Kentucky’s.
Elsmere weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elsmere’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 23° | 3.3" | 7.7" | 13 | 8 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 3.1" | 6.7" | 12 | 6 | 22° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 34° | 4.1" | 3.4" | 13 | 2 | 37° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.6" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 28° | 3.7" | 4.1" | 12 | 4 | 24° – 46° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 46.6" | 23.3" | 136 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elsmere’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 Elsmere’s center.
- Snow: Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, 5 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 Elsmere’s climate
What is the weather like in Elsmere?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elsmere in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 100 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Elsmere get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elsmere?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Elsmere?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 188 frost-free days, at Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport.
What growing zone is Elsmere in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elsmere?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elsmere getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elsmere.
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.