Photo: Roseohioresident · CC BY-SA 4.0Summers, winters and rain in Spencer all run close to those of most U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 19°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 66% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 63–83°.
A year in Spencer at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spencer’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spencer’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Spencer feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chippewa Lake, OH, 10 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spencer’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 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 Spencer
92% 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 Chippewa Lake, OH.
Living with Spencer’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spencer from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spencer and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spencer in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spencer’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer, OH | 19° | 83° | 39" | 47" |
| Taylor, PA | 18° | 83° | 40" | 45" |
| Mishawaka, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 50" |
| Three Rivers, MI | 17° | 83° | 38" | 41" |
| Oak Park, IL | 17° | 84° | 38" | 42" |
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 Spencer averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Spencer compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spencer’s place among Ohio’s.
Spencer weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spencer’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° | 19° | 2.6" | 14.4" | 14 | 18 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 2.1" | 12.4" | 12 | 15 | 13° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.9" | 8.4" | 12 | 7 | 30° – 50° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 14 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 2.9" | 1.4" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 39° | 25° | 2.6" | 8.5" | 13 | 10 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 39.2" | 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 13° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Spencer’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 Spencer’s center.
- Snow: Oberlin, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chippewa Lake, OH, 10 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; 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 Spencer’s climate
What is the weather like in Spencer?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spencer in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Spencer 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 Spencer?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Chippewa Lake, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Spencer?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 172 frost-free days, at Chippewa Lake, OH.
What growing zone is Spencer 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 Spencer?
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 Spencer getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spencer.
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.