Photo: Nyttend · Public domainThe climate in Thurston sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 85°. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. From April to June and August to October, highs of 64–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Thurston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thurston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thurston’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Thurston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lancaster Fairfield Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thurston’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckeye Lake 1 N, OH, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; July 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 Thurston
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 Lancaster Fairfield Airport.
Living with Thurston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 13.
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 Thurston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thurston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thurston yet.
Climates most like Thurston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurston, OH | 21° | 85° | 41" | 17" |
| Fishers, IN | 20° | 84° | 43" | 18" |
| Paris, IL | 20° | 85° | 43" | 19" |
| Oakmont, PA | 21° | 85° | 41" | 25" |
| Pulaski, VA | 24° | 84° | 41" | 16" |
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 Thurston averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Thurston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thurston’s place among Ohio’s.
Thurston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thurston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckeye Lake 1 N, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 21° | 2.9" | 5.4" | 15 | 20° – 40° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.4" | 6.2" | 13 | 19° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 3.6" | 2.1" | 13 | 34° – 53° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 14 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 55° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 3.1" | 2.9" | 14 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 41.4" | 17.0" | 147 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Thurston’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 Thurston’s center.
- Snow: Buckeye Lake 1 N, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lancaster Fairfield Airport, 8 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 Thurston’s climate
What is the weather like in Thurston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thurston in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 120 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 20°.
How much snow does Thurston get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Buckeye Lake 1 N, OH, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Thurston?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Lancaster Fairfield Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Thurston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 169 frost-free days, at Lancaster Fairfield Airport.
What growing zone is Thurston in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Thurston?
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 Thurston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thurston.
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.