Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Elkhart’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Elkhart at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elkhart’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elkhart’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Elkhart feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 234 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Palestine 2 Ne, TX, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elkhart’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 46 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 103 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Palestine 2 Ne, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elkhart
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Palestine 2 Ne, TX.
Living with Elkhart’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
234 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elkhart from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elkhart and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elkhart yet.
Climates most like Elkhart’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart, TX | 37° | 94° | 46" | 0.1" |
| Vidalia, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Orangeburg, SC | 35° | 92° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
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 Elkhart averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Elkhart compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elkhart’s place among Texas’.
Elkhart weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elkhart’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palestine 2 Ne, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 63° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| April | 77° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 84° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 94° | 73° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 79° – 89° |
| August | 95° | 72° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 79° – 91° |
| September | 89° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| October | 79° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| November | 68° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 60° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| Year | 77° | 55° | 46.0" | 0.1" | 103 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elkhart’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 Elkhart’s center.
- Snow: Palestine 2 Ne, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Palestine 2 Ne, TX, 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 Elkhart’s climate
What is the weather like in Elkhart?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elkhart in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 38 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Elkhart get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Palestine 2 Ne, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elkhart?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 73°. About 87 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Palestine 2 Ne, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Elkhart?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 234 frost-free days, at Palestine 2 Ne, TX.
What growing zone is Elkhart in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elkhart?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elkhart getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elkhart.
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.