Photo: Aesopposea · CC BY-SA 3.0In South Salem, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 22° on average. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in February. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in South Salem at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Salem’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Salem’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in South Salem 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 24 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro, OH, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Salem’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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hillsboro, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Salem
87% 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 Hillsboro, OH.
Living with South Salem’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Salem from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Salem and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Salem yet.
Climates most like South Salem’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 Salem, OH | 22° | 84° | 42" | 18" |
| Clairton, PA | 22° | 84° | 41" | 21" |
| Noblesville, IN | 20° | 84° | 43" | 20" |
| Pulaski, VA | 24° | 84° | 41" | 16" |
| Paris, IL | 20° | 85° | 43" | 19" |
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 South Salem averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Salem compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Salem’s place among Ohio’s.
South Salem weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Salem’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hillsboro, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 3.1" | 6.9" | 13 | 9 | 21° – 41° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 2.8" | 5.0" | 12 | 6 | 20° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 3.8" | 3.4" | 13 | 3 | 35° – 54° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 3.3" | 2.2" | 13 | 3 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 42.2" | 18.1" | 141 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where South Salem’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 Salem’s center.
- Snow: Hillsboro, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro, OH, 18 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 Salem’s climate
What is the weather like in South Salem?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Salem in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does South Salem get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Hillsboro, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Salem?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Hillsboro, OH).
When is the first and last frost in South Salem?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 178 frost-free days, at Hillsboro, OH.
What growing zone is South Salem 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 Salem?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Salem getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Salem.
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.