Guilford Lake has cooler summers than 76% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 19°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 63° apart. Its January nights bite harder than in 63% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to October, when highs sit at 63–83°.
A year in Guilford Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Guilford Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Guilford Lake’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Guilford Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Millport 4 Ne, OH, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Guilford Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 41 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Guilford Lake
91% 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 Millport 4 Ne, OH.
Living with Guilford Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Guilford Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Guilford Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Guilford Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Guilford Lake averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Guilford Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Guilford Lake’s place among Ohio’s.
Guilford Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Guilford Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 19° | 2.9" | 18° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 21° | 2.3" | 15° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 3.1" | 31° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.7" | 43° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 4.1" | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 4.6" | 63° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 4.2" | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.6" | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.8" | 60° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.3" | 48° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 2.7" | 35° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 25° | 2.8" | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 40.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Guilford 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 Guilford Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Millport 4 Ne, OH, 2.7 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 Guilford Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Guilford Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Guilford Lake in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 139 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 18°.
How hot does it get in Guilford Lake?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Millport 4 Ne, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Guilford Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 165 frost-free days, at Millport 4 Ne, OH.
What growing zone is Guilford Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Guilford Lake?
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 Guilford Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Guilford 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.