Photo: User:Nyttend · Public domainIn La Rue, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 19°. Winter and summer sit 65° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 71% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in La Rue at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Rue’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Rue’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in La Rue feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marion 2 N, OH, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Rue’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 Prospect, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Rue
88% 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 Marion 2 N, OH.
Living with La Rue’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 La Rue from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Rue and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of La Rue in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Rue’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Rue, OH | 19° | 84° | 37" | 26" |
| Dolton, IL | 18° | 84° | 39" | 28" |
| Munster, IN | 17° | 84° | 39" | 27" |
| Huntingdon, PA | 21° | 85° | 40" | 26" |
| New Haven, MI | 19° | 83° | 34" | 32" |
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 La Rue averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 La Rue compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Rue’s place among Ohio’s.
La Rue weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Rue’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Prospect, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 19° | 2.5" | 8.6" | 12 | 16 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 38° | 22° | 2.2" | 6.2" | 10 | 13 | 16° – 41° |
| March | 48° | 30° | 2.8" | 4.1" | 11 | 5 | 32° – 51° |
| April | 62° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 2.7" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 39° | 25° | 2.5" | 5.4" | 11 | 10 | 20° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 37.0" | 26.3" | 130 | 45 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Rue’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 La Rue’s center.
- Snow: Prospect, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marion 2 N, OH, 13 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 La Rue’s climate
What is the weather like in La Rue?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Rue in winter?
January nights average 19°. 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 18°.
How much snow does La Rue get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Prospect, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 45 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Rue?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Marion 2 N, OH).
When is the first and last frost in La Rue?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 178 frost-free days, at Marion 2 N, OH.
What growing zone is La Rue in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Rue?
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 La Rue getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Rue.
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.