Patoka Lake, Indiana climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Patoka Lake's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 92°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.9°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 33°C.
- NOAA stationPatoka Lake
- Station IDUSC00126711
- Location38.44°N 86.70°W
- Elevation561 ft (171 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Patoka Lake is 69°F and the normal low 44°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Patoka Lake.
- Jan 42° 23°
- Feb 47° 25°
- Mar 57° 33°
- Apr 69° 43°
- May 78° 55°
- Jun 87° 64°
- Jul 92° 67°
- Aug 90° 65°
- Sep 83° 58°
- Oct 73° 47°
- Nov 58° 36°
- Dec 47° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Patoka Lake each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 92°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 23°F | 32.5°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 47°F | 25°F | 35.6°F | – | <1 | 21 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 57°F | 33°F | 45.1°F | – | <1 | 15 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 43°F | 55.9°F | – | <1 | 6 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 55°F | 66.7°F | – | 8 | 1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 87°F | 64°F | 75.3°F | – | 12 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 92°F | 67°F | 79.5°F | – | 23 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 90°F | 65°F | 77.4°F | – | 15 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 83°F | 58°F | 70.7°F | – | 13 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 73°F | 47°F | 60.1°F | – | 3 | 2 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 58°F | 36°F | 47.2°F | – | <1 | 14 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 47°F | 29°F | 37.9°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 45°F | 57.0°F | – | 73 | 102 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −5°C | 0.3°C |
| February | 8°C | −4°C | 2.0°C |
| March | 14°C | 0°C | 7.3°C |
| April | 20°C | 6°C | 13.3°C |
| May | 26°C | 13°C | 19.3°C |
| June | 31°C | 18°C | 24.1°C |
| July | 33°C | 20°C | 26.4°C |
| August | 32°C | 18°C | 25.2°C |
| September | 29°C | 14°C | 21.5°C |
| October | 23°C | 8°C | 15.6°C |
| November | 14°C | 2°C | 8.4°C |
| December | 8°C | −2°C | 3.3°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Dubois (1 miles away), gets 13 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00126711; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Patoka Lake?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00126711.
When is the last frost at Patoka Lake?
In Patoka Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 10 in half of years and after April 26 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 1 in half of years and before October 20 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 101 year in 10 after April 26; 9 in 10 after March 27
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 11 year in 10 before October 20; 9 in 10 before November 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 204 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 228 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 30 in half of springs and before November 11 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Patoka Lake in zone 6b in ZIP code 47521, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Indiana · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00126711; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Patoka Lake?
In a normal year in Patoka Lake, 73 days a year reach 90°F (3 of them 100°F or more) and 102 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 73a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 3a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 102a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 12high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00126711.
How sunny is it at Patoka Lake?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Patoka Lake, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (82%) and December the cloudiest (60%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 62% | 1.9 |
| February | 63% | 2.6 |
| March | 66% | 3.7 |
| April | 72% | 5.0 |
| May | 72% | 5.5 |
| June | 80% | 6.3 |
| July | 81% | 6.1 |
| August | 82% | 5.6 |
| September | 80% | 4.6 |
| October | 74% | 3.3 |
| November | 70% | 2.3 |
| December | 60% | 1.6 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Patoka Lake record?
A normal year at Patoka Lake brings 4,427 heating degree days, 18% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,537 cooling degree days, 69% more than the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,317 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,008 | 0 |
| February | 822 | 0 |
| March | 618 | 0 |
| April | 285 | 12 |
| May | 81 | 133 |
| June | 0 | 309 |
| July | 0 | 447 |
| August | 1 | 383 |
| September | 30 | 200 |
| October | 203 | 49 |
| November | 539 | 4 |
| December | 840 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,427 | 1,537 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00126711. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Have recent years at Patoka Lake been warmer than normal?
2023 averaged 59.1°F, 2.1°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 57.0°F. 1 of the 2 complete years since 2022 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 56.8°F | −0.2°F |
| 2023 | 59.1°F | +2.1°F |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00126711. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Patoka Lake's climate compare?
Patoka Lake is warmer than 94 of the 99 places with their own NOAA record in Indiana. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 57.0°F is warmer than 66%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Patoka Lake share this climate record?
5 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Jasper, IN16,967 people · 13 mi W
- Birdseye, IN410 people · 8 mi S
- Celestine, IN398 people · 5 mi SW
- St. Anthony, IN204 people · 10 mi SW
- Schnellville, IN137 people · 7 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Patoka Lake's climate
What is the coldest month at Patoka Lake?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (92°F by day, 67°F at night).
Does it snow at Patoka Lake?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Dubois (1 miles away), records 13 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Patoka Lake in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Patoka Lake in zone 6b in ZIP code 47521, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Patoka Lake?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 10; in one year in ten it comes after April 26. Waiting until April 26 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Indiana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Dubois, IN1 miles from this station, 53.3°F a year
- Shoals, IN9 miles from this station, 55.6°F a year
- Paoli, IN14 miles from this station, 54.1°F a year
- English, IN17 miles from this station, 56.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made