Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Indian Lake gets about 97 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in February. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 67–78°.
A year in Indian Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Indian Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Indian Lake’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Indian Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 5. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurel Summit, PA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Meyersdale 2 Ssw, PA, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Indian Lake’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°
About 97 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckstown 1 Se, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Indian Lake
96% 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 Meyersdale 2 Ssw, PA.
Living with Indian Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Indian Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Indian Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Indian Lake yet.
Climates most like Indian Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Lake, PA | 16° | 78° | 45" | 97" |
| Marcellus, NY | 15° | 79° | 43" | 106" |
| Yarmouth, ME | 14° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
| Dalton, MA | 13° | 80° | 48" | 77" |
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 Indian Lake averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
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 Indian Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Indian Lake’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Indian Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Indian Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckstown 1 Se, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 3.3" | 29.0" | 18 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 18° | 3.1" | 22.7" | 14 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 3.9" | 15.1" | 14 | 28° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 4.2" | 13 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 40° | 3.4" | 1.2" | 12 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 2.9" | 4.9" | 13 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 21° | 3.5" | 19.8" | 16 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 45.1" | 96.9" | 164 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Indian Lake’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 Indian Lake’s center.
- Snow: Buckstown 1 Se, PA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Meyersdale 2 Ssw, PA, 20 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Laurel Summit, PA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Indian Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Indian Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 97 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Indian Lake in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Indian Lake get?
About 97 inches in a normal winter at Buckstown 1 Se, PA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Indian Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Meyersdale 2 Ssw, PA.
When is the first and last frost in Indian Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 146 frost-free days, at Meyersdale 2 Ssw, PA.
What growing zone is Indian Lake 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 Indian Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Indian Lake 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 Indian Lake.
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.