Photo: Nyttend · Public domainTownsend Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Townsend Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Townsend Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Townsend Township’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Townsend Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandusky, OH, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Townsend Township’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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norwalk Wwtp, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 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 Townsend Township
86% 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 Sandusky, OH.
Living with Townsend Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Townsend Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Townsend Township and its neighbors
York Township has the coldest January nights next door (20°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Townsend Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend Township, OH | 21° | 83° | 36" | 33" |
| Evanston, IL | 19° | 82° | 38" | 34" |
| East Chicago, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 39" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
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 Townsend Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Townsend Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Townsend Township’s place among Ohio’s.
Townsend Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Townsend Township’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 | 33° | 21° | 2.3" | 9.7" | 14 | 15 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 36° | 23° | 2.0" | 8.2" | 12 | 12 | 15° – 40° |
| March | 45° | 30° | 2.6" | 5.1" | 12 | 6 | 30° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 40° | 3.7" | 1.6" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 69° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 50° | 36° | 2.7" | 1.5" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 38° | 27° | 2.3" | 6.6" | 12 | 8 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 59° | 43° | 36.0" | 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 15° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Townsend Township’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 Townsend Township’s center.
- Snow: Norwalk Wwtp, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandusky, OH, 11 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 Townsend Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Townsend Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Townsend Township in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 104 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 18°.
How much snow does Townsend Township 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 Townsend Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 65°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Sandusky, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Townsend Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 209 frost-free days, at Sandusky, OH.
What growing zone is Townsend Township 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 Townsend Township?
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 Townsend Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Townsend Township.
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.