Photo: SilentMatt Psychedelic · CC BY-SA 4.0July in South Amherst stays fresher than in 74% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 20° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. From May to October, highs of 63–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in South Amherst at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Amherst’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Amherst’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in South Amherst feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elyria Lorain Co Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Amherst’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oberlin, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 147 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Amherst
90% 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 Elyria Lorain Co Airport.
Living with South Amherst’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 24.
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 South Amherst from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Amherst and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Amherst in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Amherst’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Amherst, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 47" |
| Portage, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 40" |
| Taylor, PA | 18° | 83° | 40" | 45" |
| Three Rivers, MI | 17° | 83° | 38" | 41" |
| Chicago, IL | 18° | 84° | 38" | 39" |
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 South Amherst averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 South Amherst compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Amherst’s place among Ohio’s.
South Amherst weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Amherst’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oberlin, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 20° | 2.7" | 14.4" | 14 | 18 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 22° | 2.1" | 12.4" | 12 | 15 | 12° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 29° | 2.8" | 8.4" | 12 | 7 | 31° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 39° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 14 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 50° | 35° | 2.9" | 1.4" | 12 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 26° | 2.7" | 8.5" | 13 | 10 | 22° – 43° |
| Year | 59° | 42° | 38.9" | 47.0" | 147 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 38°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where South Amherst’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 South Amherst’s center.
- Snow: Oberlin, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elyria Lorain Co Airport, 2.9 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 South Amherst’s climate
What is the weather like in South Amherst?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Amherst in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does South Amherst get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Oberlin, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Amherst?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 64°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Elyria Lorain Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in South Amherst?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 182 frost-free days, at Elyria Lorain Co Airport.
What growing zone is South Amherst in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Amherst?
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 South Amherst getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Amherst.
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.