Nights turn raw in North Salem Township each January, colder than in 73% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 61% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 15 to October 20.
A year in North Salem Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Salem Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Salem Township’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in North Salem Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chillicothe 22 Ene, MO, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Salem 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Brookfield, MO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Salem Township
84% of the work is heating. 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 Chillicothe 22 Ene, MO.
Living with North Salem Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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: April, May, June, September and October. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Salem Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Salem Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of North Salem Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like North Salem 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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Salem Township, MO | 17° | 87° | 40" | 19" |
| Lincoln, IL | 18° | 86° | 39" | 19" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Lock Haven, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
| Van Wert, OH | 19° | 84° | 39" | 17" |
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 North Salem Township averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 North Salem Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Salem Township’s place among Missouri’s.
North Salem Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Salem Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Brookfield, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 17° | 1.4" | 4.8" | 7 | 12 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 1.7" | 5.9" | 8 | 8 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 2.6" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 2.4" | 1.2" | 8 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 1.7" | 4.2" | 7 | 8 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 40.0" | 18.9" | 110 | 30 |
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 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where North Salem 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 North Salem Township’s center.
- Snow: Brookfield, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chillicothe 22 Ene, MO, 14 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 North Salem Township’s climate
What is the weather like in North Salem Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Salem Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 116 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 20°.
How much snow does North Salem Township get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Brookfield, MO, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Salem Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Chillicothe 22 Ene, MO).
When is the first and last frost in North Salem Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 184 frost-free days, at Chillicothe 22 Ene, MO.
What growing zone is North Salem 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 North Salem Township?
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 North Salem Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Salem Township.
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.