January in Vandalia bites harder than in 76% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Seasons differ by 66°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 72% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 70–83°.
A year in Vandalia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vandalia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vandalia’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Vandalia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dowagiac 1 W, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vandalia’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Three Rivers, MI, falls mostly in January. 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 144 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vandalia
92% 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 Dowagiac 1 W, MI.
Living with Vandalia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vandalia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vandalia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vandalia yet.
Climates most like Vandalia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandalia, MI | 17° | 83° | 39" | 41" |
| Scranton, PA | 17° | 83° | 41" | 45" |
| Shelby, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 49" |
| Elmira, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Machesney Park, IL | 13° | 83° | 37" | 38" |
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 Vandalia averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Vandalia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vandalia’s place among Michigan’s.
Vandalia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vandalia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Three Rivers, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.5" | 15.0" | 15 | 21 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 2.1" | 9.7" | 12 | 17 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.7" | 11 | 6 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.8" | 2.9" | 13 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.4" | 9.3" | 14 | 13 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 38.9" | 41.2" | 144 | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Vandalia’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 Vandalia’s center.
- Snow: Three Rivers, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dowagiac 1 W, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Vandalia’s climate
What is the weather like in Vandalia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vandalia in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Vandalia get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Three Rivers, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vandalia?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Dowagiac 1 W, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Vandalia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 158 frost-free days, at Dowagiac 1 W, MI.
What growing zone is Vandalia in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vandalia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vandalia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vandalia.
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.