Photo: Nyttend · Public domainA middle-of-the-road climate: Crystal Lakes is close to most U.S. towns on every count
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. Only 63° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 24, with the first autumn frost due around October 17.
A year in Crystal Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crystal Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crystal Lakes’ place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Crystal Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Carlisle, OH, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crystal Lakes’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tipp City, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 131 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crystal Lakes
87% 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 New Carlisle, OH.
Living with Crystal Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crystal Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crystal Lakes and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Crystal Lakes in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Crystal Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lakes, OH | 22° | 85° | 42" | 12" |
| Wheeling, WV | 22° | 84° | 42" | 15" |
| Mattoon, IL | 20° | 86° | 41" | 15" |
| Waynesboro, VA | 25° | 85° | 43" | 11" |
| Monaca, PA | 21° | 84° | 40" | 20" |
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 Crystal Lakes averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Crystal Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crystal Lakes’ place among Ohio’s.
Crystal Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crystal Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tipp City, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 22° | 3.1" | 4.1" | 13 | 8 | 21° – 40° |
| February | 40° | 24° | 2.3" | 2.5" | 10 | 6 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 3.3" | 2.6" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 54° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 41° | 27° | 3.0" | 1.9" | 12 | 3 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 41.6" | 11.7" | 131 | 19 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Crystal Lakes’ 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 Crystal Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Tipp City, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Carlisle, OH, 3 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 Crystal Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Crystal Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crystal Lakes in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 129 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Crystal Lakes get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Tipp City, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Crystal Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (New Carlisle, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Crystal Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 173 frost-free days, at New Carlisle, OH.
What growing zone is Crystal Lakes in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crystal Lakes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Crystal Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crystal Lakes.
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.