Photo: w:en:Dsyrengelas · CC BY-SA 3.0Indian Lake gets about 102 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 76°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 70°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Indian Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Indian Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Indian Lake’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Indian Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Indian Lake’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 102 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 179 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Indian Lake
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Indian Lake 2sw, NY.
Living with Indian Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 23 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 162 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Indian Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Indian Lake and its neighbors
Long Lake has the coldest January nights next door (5°, 1° colder) and Wells the hottest July afternoons (77°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Indian Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Lake, NY | 6° | 76° | 46" | 102" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
| Houlton, ME | 4° | 78° | 42" | 96" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
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 Indian Lake averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Indian Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Indian Lake’s place among New York’s.
Indian Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Indian Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Indian Lake 2sw, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 6° | 3.4" | 23.4" | 17 | 31 | 5° – 24° |
| February | 29° | 7° | 2.7" | 22.8" | 13 | 29 | 4° – 25° |
| March | 38° | 15° | 3.2" | 18.0" | 14 | 26 | 16° – 36° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 3.9" | 4.5" | 15 | 9 | 32° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 4.4" | 1.1" | 17 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 3.7" | 8.2" | 16 | 7 | 28° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 14° | 3.7" | 23.2" | 17 | 26 | 14° – 34° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 46.1" | 101.5" | 179 | 128 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Indian Lake’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 Indian Lake’s center.
- Snow: Indian Lake 2sw, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Indian Lake 2sw, NY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Indian Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Indian Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 102 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Indian Lake in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Indian Lake get?
About 102 inches in a normal winter at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 128 days a year.
How hot does it get in Indian Lake?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Indian Lake 2sw, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Indian Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 125 frost-free days, at Indian Lake 2sw, NY.
What growing zone is Indian Lake in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Indian Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Indian Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Indian Lake.
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.