Photo: Derek Jensen (Tysto) · Public domainPrecipitation in Kelleys Island trails that of 79% of U.S. towns: 34 inches a year
January nights here settle around 22°. Temperatures cover 61° across the year, low to high. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 78% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to October, with highs of 63–82°.
A year in Kelleys Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kelleys Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kelleys Island’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Kelleys Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandusky, OH, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kelleys Island’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norwalk Wwtp, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kelleys Island
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Sandusky, OH.
Living with Kelleys Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 9.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kelleys Island from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kelleys Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kelleys Island yet.
Climates most like Kelleys Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelleys Island, OH | 22° | 82° | 34" | 33" |
| Evanston, IL | 19° | 82° | 38" | 34" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| East Chicago, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 39" |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Kelleys Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kelleys Island’s place among Ohio’s.
Kelleys Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norwalk Wwtp, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 22° | 1.9" | 9.7" | 14 | 15 |
| February | 37° | 23° | 1.8" | 8.2" | 12 | 12 |
| March | 45° | 31° | 2.6" | 5.1" | 12 | 6 |
| April | 57° | 41° | 3.8" | 1.6" | 13 | 1 |
| May | 69° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| June | 78° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| July | 82° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| August | 81° | 66° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| September | 75° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| October | 63° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| November | 50° | 37° | 2.6" | 1.5" | 10 | 2 |
| December | 39° | 28° | 2.1" | 6.6" | 12 | 8 |
| Year | 59° | 45° | 34.0" | 32.7" | 138 | 43 |
Where Kelleys Island’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Ohio).
- Snow: Norwalk Wwtp, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandusky, OH, 11 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.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Kelleys Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Kelleys Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kelleys Island in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Kelleys Island get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Norwalk Wwtp, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 43 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kelleys Island?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 67°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Sandusky, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Kelleys Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 209 frost-free days, at Sandusky, OH.
What growing zone is Kelleys Island in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kelleys Island?
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.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kelleys Island.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.