Salem, IN Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Salem's primary NOAA station, SALEM.
The climate verdict for Salem
Water is the standout signal in Salem, Indiana: 46.9 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 55°F. It scores 78/100 for climate comfort (good), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 72% of them.
- 55°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 78/100
- comfort score, above 72% of station-mapped location scores
- 46.9"
- annual precipitation · 14" snow
- 188 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Salem: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00127755 · Salem, IN 55°F mean · 46.9" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-MID · COMF-TOP · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 55°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,254
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Mcdaniels
- PRCP-MID 46.9"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-TOP 78/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,637 HDD
- STN-1 USC00127755
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Mcdaniels, KY (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every IN station list.
- Salem (this station) 55°F
- Cold Ava, MO 55°F
- Hot Mcdaniels, KY 55°F
- Near Brandenburg, KY 55°F
- Near Warsaw Markland…, KY 55°F
Climate Living Index · Salem
Salem: 63/100 · grade C
Salem publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Salem, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 78/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 104 calendar days | 74/100 · B |
| Annual temperature balance | 55.4°F · 12.1° from 67.5°F | 61/100 · C |
| Precipitation balance | 46.9 in · 11.9 from 35 in | 58/100 · C |
| Snowfall burden | 14.1 inches/year | 57/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 188 days/year | 56/100 · C |
Salem · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Salem is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa
Coldest-month mean 32.7°F and warmest-month mean 75.7°F place this station in temperate, no dry season, hot summer climates (Cfa). Class Cfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Cfa
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 75.7°F
- Coldest month
- 32.7°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Salem sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Salem's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 62nd percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Top 27% wettest
- Salem's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 49th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Salem compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Salem's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
78 Top 28% score exceeds 72% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). This entry sits in this band.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F (5°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 3.5" | 4.9" | 24.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 3.2" | 4.1" | 20.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 56°F (13°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 4.8" | 2.2" | 15.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 68°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 4.8" | 0.3" | 5.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 5.2" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| June | 84°F (29°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| July | 87°F (30°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 8.4 |
| August | 86°F (30°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.7 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.1" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 3.1 |
| October | 70°F (21°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.0" | 0.2" | 4.0 | 0.1 |
| November | 56°F (13°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 3.6" | 0.2" | 12.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 44°F (7°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 4.0" | 2.2" | 21.4 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 87°F around July 7, short of 90°F on every date, while 104 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 23°F near January 24.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 7, then returns to freezing around November 25, covering 104 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 2, when 41% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is September 10 at 21%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 112 wet dates a year.
The widest day
September 26 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 25°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Salem.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 4.9"
9.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
9.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.2"
10.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
11.6 days with precipitation
12.2 days with precipitation
10.5 days with precipitation
8.9 days with precipitation
7.2 days with precipitation
6.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
7.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
8.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.2"
10.2 days with precipitation
Salem spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 25% of the annual total and December through February 23%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Salem has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 43°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 5.2" and October 3.0". The three wettest months together take 32% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Salem, it arrives in quantity
46.9" of precipitation falls across only about 112 wet days here, averaging 0.42 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.
- Days with measurable precipitation
- about 112 a year, 31% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.42 inches
- Most wet days
- May, about 12
- Fewest wet days
- September, about 6
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.
Winter brings real snow to Salem
Salem averages 14.1 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 9 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 14.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 9 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 3% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 22
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 17
50% probability date
Growing Season
188 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,637
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,157
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside IN closest to Salem on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (55°F here).
- Appleton City, MO 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Danville, KY 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Elkton, OR 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Erwin, TN 55°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (46.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Clarks Hill, SC 46.9" · 0.0" off
- Stevensville, MD 46.9" · 0.0" off
- Clarion, PA 46.9" · 0.0" off
- Mocksville, NC 46.9" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Salem
heating led · wet · mid swing
Salem's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,637 annual heating degree days against 1,157 for cooling. Its 43.0°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Salem's frost-free season lasts about 188 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Salem coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 33°F (0°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Salem typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Salem snow peak
January
Salem averages 14.1 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Salem's climate
How much snow does Salem get? ▼
How cold does Salem get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Salem? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Salem's primary station: SALEM (USC00127755). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 1867464). Match rule for Salem: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Salem comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.