Photo: Nyttend · Public domainCongress Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Congress Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Congress Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Congress Township’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Congress Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 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 Galion Wtr Wks, OH, 9 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Congress Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galion Wtr Wks, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Congress Township
89% 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 Galion Wtr Wks, OH.
Living with Congress Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 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, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Congress Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Congress Township and its neighbors
Washington Township the hottest July afternoons (83°, 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 Congress 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress Township, OH | 17° | 82° | 43" | 26" |
| Lebanon, IN | 18° | 83° | 42" | 22" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Richton Park, IL | 16° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
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 Congress Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Congress Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Congress Township’s place among Ohio’s.
Congress Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Congress Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galion Wtr Wks, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 3.1" | 9.9" | 13 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 2.5" | 4.9" | 10 | 14° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 3.1" | 4.0" | 11 | 31° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 14 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 11 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.2" | 1.0" | 11 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 3.1" | 5.6" | 12 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 43.0" | 25.9" | 137 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Congress 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 Congress Township’s center.
- Snow: Galion Wtr Wks, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Galion Wtr Wks, OH, 9 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Congress Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Congress Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Congress Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Congress Township get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Galion Wtr Wks, OH, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Congress Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Galion Wtr Wks, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Congress Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 176 frost-free days, at Galion Wtr Wks, OH.
What growing zone is Congress Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Congress Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Congress Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Congress 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.