Climate · Lake

Lake, IN climate

Lake has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
84°
524th coolest of 1,978 Indiana towns
January low
18°
483rd coldest of 1,978 Indiana towns
Rain + melted snow
39 in
187th driest of 1,978 Indiana towns
Snow a winter
34 in
219th snowiest of 1,972 Indiana towns
A normal year

What a year in Lake feels like

Winter

35° / 20°
Typical high / low · 11 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

60° / 39°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 24

Summer

82° / 60°
Typical high / low · 16 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

63° / 42°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 21
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Lake weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January32°18°2.5" 10.8"1315 15° – 37°
February36°20°1.9" 7.8"1111 15° – 38°
March48°28°2.5" 4.6"124 29° – 52°
April61°38°3.8" 0.8"130 42° – 55°
May72°49°4.5" 0140 53° – 66°
June81°59°4.3" 0120 65° – 73°
July84°62°3.9" 0100 67° – 79°
August82°60°4.0" 090 66° – 76°
September76°53°3.1" 090 60° – 68°
October64°42°3.0" 0.1"100 49° – 59°
November49°32°3.0" 1.9"111 34° – 47°
December37°23°2.4" 7.6"128 17° – 41°
Year60°40°38.7"33.6"13538

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Lake

Lake gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 38 days of the year.

39 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 53% of U.S. towns
34 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 62% of U.S. towns
38 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
11"
Frost & the growing season

About 178 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 21. That leaves about 178 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 50% of U.S. towns.

124
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6
nights below 0° in a normal year
16
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Lake

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lake, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

88%heating
5,968 heating degree daysMore heating than 55% of U.S. towns
849 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 50% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Lake

Lake and its neighbors

Lake borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. Union has the coldest January nights (17°) and Aboite the hottest July afternoons (84°). Lake’s January low is 18° and its July high 84°.

Columbia: January low 17°, July high 84°Jefferson: January low 18°, July high 84°Smith: January low 17°, July high 83°St. Joseph: January low 18°, July high 84°Wayne: January low 18°, July high 84°Perry: January low 17°, July high 84°Fort Wayne: January low 18°, July high 84°Eel River: January low 17°, July high 84°Lafayette: January low 18°, July high 84°Union: January low 17°, July high 84°Washington: January low 17°, July high 84°Aboite: January low 18°, July high 84°Lake: January low 18°, July high 84° LakeUnionWashingtonAboite
ColderMilder17° to 18°
Union17.4° −0.2°
Washington17.4° −0.2°
Lake17.6°
Aboite17.8° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Lake compares

Summer heat84° July high
Cooler than 59% of U.S. towns524th coolest of 1,978 Indiana towns
Winter cold18° January low
Colder than 58% of U.S. towns483rd coldest of 1,978 Indiana towns
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 53% of U.S. towns187th driest of 1,978 Indiana towns
Snow34" a winter
Snowier than 62% of U.S. towns219th snowiest of 1,972 Indiana towns
Growing season178 frost-free days
Longer than 50% of U.S. towns814th shortest of 1,978 Indiana towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 57% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.9° now 28°, was 26°
🌷 Spring+1.5° now 49°, was 48°
☀️ Summer+0.4° now 71°, was 71°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 52°, was 52°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lake’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 17° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Lake’s climate

What is the coldest month in Lake?

January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 18°.

What is the hottest month in Lake?

July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 16 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Lake get?

About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Lake?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 24.

What is the rainiest month in Lake?

May, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Wayne Intl Airport, IN (12 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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