Photo: Roseohioresident · CC BY-SA 4.0July in West Salem stays fresher than in 74% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 19°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 64°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 66% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in West Salem at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Salem’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Salem’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in West Salem feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wooster Wayne Co Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Salem’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wooster Exp Station, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Salem
91% 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 Wooster Wayne Co Airport.
Living with West Salem’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 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 14.
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 West Salem from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Salem and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Salem yet.
Climates most like West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Salem, OH | 19° | 83° | 40" | 29" |
| Gary, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 27" |
| Calumet City, IL | 18° | 84° | 39" | 28" |
| Tyrone, PA | 19° | 84° | 42" | 35" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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 West Salem averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 West Salem compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Salem’s place among Ohio’s.
West Salem weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Salem’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wooster Exp Station, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 19° | 2.7" | 9.4" | 14 | 16 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 2.2" | 7.0" | 12 | 14 | 13° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 3.0" | 4.9" | 12 | 6 | 30° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.7" | 13 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 33° | 2.9" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 25° | 2.7" | 5.4" | 13 | 9 | 20° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 40.0" | 28.6" | 142 | 47 |
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 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where West 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 West Salem’s center.
- Snow: Wooster Exp Station, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wooster Wayne Co Airport, 13 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 West Salem’s climate
What is the weather like in West Salem?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Salem in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 129 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does West Salem get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Wooster Exp Station, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Salem?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Wooster Wayne Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in West Salem?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 167 frost-free days, at Wooster Wayne Co Airport.
What growing zone is West Salem in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Salem?
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 West Salem getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West 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.