Terre Haute, IL climate
Terre Haute has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeRight about normal today. The forecast high is 72°, and a typical Oct 1 in Terre Haute peaks around 71°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Terre Haute feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Terre Haute weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 1.7" | 6.3" | 9 | 13 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 1.8" | 5.8" | 9 | 9 | 16° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 2.5" | 2.1" | 10 | 3 | 32° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 5.2" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 82° | 62° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 3.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 33° – 50° |
| December | 37° | 22° | 2.0" | 5.3" | 8 | 7 | 14° – 39° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 38.5" | 21.8" | 114 | 34 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Terre Haute
Terre Haute gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 34 days of the year.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 180 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 53% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Terre Haute
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Terre Haute, 86% of that work is heating and 14% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Terre Haute and its neighbors
Terre Haute borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Raritan has the coldest January nights (16°) and Lomax the hottest July afternoons (86°). Terre Haute’s January low is 16° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Terre Haute compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Terre Haute averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Terre Haute’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 14° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Terre Haute’s climate
What is the coldest month in Terre Haute?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Terre Haute?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Terre Haute get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Terre Haute?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Terre Haute?
May, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Terre Haute itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Burlington 2s, IA (11 mi, snow) and La Harpe, IL (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.