In Drexel, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 21°. Warming shows here too: 1.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Drexel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Drexel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Drexel’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Drexel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dayton Mcd, OH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Drexel’s 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 Dayton Mcd, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Drexel
82% 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 Dayton Mcd, OH.
Living with Drexel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Drexel from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Drexel and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Drexel in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Drexel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel, OH | 21° | 85° | 42" | 12" |
| Mattoon, IL | 20° | 86° | 41" | 15" |
| Wheeling, WV | 22° | 84° | 42" | 15" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Pulaski, VA | 24° | 84° | 41" | 16" |
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 Drexel averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Drexel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Drexel’s place among Ohio’s.
Drexel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Drexel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dayton Mcd, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 3.0" | 6.9" | 12 | 9 | 21° – 40° |
| February | 41° | 24° | 2.4" | 1.5" | 10 | 5 | 19° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 3.4" | 1.7" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 54° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 52° | 34° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 3.1" | 2.1" | 11 | 5 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 41.5" | 12.3" | 128 | 22 |
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 8°.
Where Drexel’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 Drexel’s center.
- Snow: Dayton Mcd, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dayton Mcd, OH, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Drexel’s climate
What is the weather like in Drexel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Drexel in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 107 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Drexel get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Dayton Mcd, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Drexel?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Dayton Mcd, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Drexel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 189 frost-free days, at Dayton Mcd, OH.
What growing zone is Drexel 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 Drexel?
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 Drexel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Drexel.
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.