Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 3.0No extremes in Milan: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Garden chairs stay out from May to October, the months with highs of 63–84°.
A year in Milan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Milan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Milan’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Milan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Norwalk Wwtp, OH, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Milan’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 38 inches a year; June 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 Milan
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 Norwalk Wwtp, OH.
Living with Milan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 25.
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 Milan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Milan and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Milan yet.
Climates most like Milan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan, OH | 20° | 84° | 38" | 33" |
| Skokie, IL | 18° | 83° | 38" | 34" |
| East Chicago, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 39" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Three Rivers, MI | 17° | 83° | 38" | 41" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Milan averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Milan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Milan’s place among Ohio’s.
Milan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Milan’s center; 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 20° | 2.6" | 9.7" | 14 | 15 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 21° | 2.2" | 8.2" | 12 | 12 | 14° – 39° |
| March | 46° | 29° | 2.8" | 5.1" | 12 | 6 | 30° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.6" | 13 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 34° | 2.8" | 1.5" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 26° | 2.5" | 6.6" | 12 | 8 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 38.3" | 32.7" | 138 | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Milan’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 Milan’s center.
- Snow: Norwalk Wwtp, OH (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Norwalk Wwtp, OH, 1.7 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 Milan’s climate
What is the weather like in Milan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Milan in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 124 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 Milan 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 Milan?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Norwalk Wwtp, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Milan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 183 frost-free days, at Norwalk Wwtp, OH.
What growing zone is Milan in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Milan?
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 Milan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Milan.
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.