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2008 05 10 - Akron - Main@272 bPhoto: Andrew Bossi · CC BY-SA 2.5
Climate in Akron · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

The climate in Akron sits close to the middle of U.S. towns

January nights here settle around 22°. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from April to June and August to October, with highs of 64–84°.

Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns#240Mildest winters  of 1,006 in PA
Less snow than 50% of U.S. towns#167Least snow  of 994 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Akron at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°22° 6" snow
Feb42°23° 7" snow
Mar51°31° 3" snow
Apr64°40° Last frost ~Apr 19
May73°50° 1 day 90°+
Jun81°60° 4 days 90°+
Jul86°65° 9 days 90°+
Aug84°63° 5 days 90°+
Sep77°56° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Oct65°44° First frost ~Oct 24
Nov now54°34°
Dec43°27° 3" snow

What stands out about Akron’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Akron’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Akron feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 24°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
63° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 19
Summer
84° / 62°
20 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 44°
First frost around Oct 24
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 186 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.

111
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
211th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer freezing nights than 52% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
171st fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 58% of U.S. towns
20
days that reach 90°
229th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
202nd most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
More 100° days than 52% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Akron’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

26
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 21 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.

45"
Rain + melted snow a year
537th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns
21"
Snow in a normal winter
167th least snowy of 994 in Pennsylvania
Less snow than 50% of U.S. towns
22 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
658th most of 822 in Pennsylvania
More days with snow on the ground than 51% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

7"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Akron

83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,129 heating degree daysLess heating than 54% of U.S. towns
1,030 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 57% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.

Living here

Living with Akron’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

186 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 24.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 2.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Akron from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Akron and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Akron in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

East Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Warwick Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Rothsville: January low 22°, July high 86°Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Clay Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Hinkletown: January low 22°, July high 86°Stevens: January low 22°, July high 86°West Cocalico Township: January low 22°, July high 85°Brownstown: January low 22°, July high 86°Upper Leacock Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Manheim Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Ephrata Township: January low 22°, July high 86°West Earl Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Ephrata: January low 22°, July high 86°Akron: January low 22°, July high 86°AkronEphrata TownshipWest Earl TownshipEphrata
ColderMilder22° to 22°
Akron21.9°
West Earl Township21.9° about the same
Ephrata21.9° about the same
Ephrata Township22.1° about the same

Climates most like Akron’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Akron, PA22°86°45"21"
Francisville, KY23°86°45"23"
Lawrenceburg, IN23°86°45"23"
Delhi Hills, OH23°86°46"23"
Clarksburg, WV23°85°47"24"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Akron averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 77% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.5°now 33°, was 30°
Spring+1.7°now 51°, was 50°
Summer+1.3°now 73°, was 72°
Fall+1.5°now 55°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Akron compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Akron’s place among Pennsylvania’s.

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns286th hottest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold22° January low
Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns240th mildest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation45" a year
Wetter than 59% of U.S. towns537th wettest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Snow21" a winter
Less snow than 50% of U.S. towns167th least snowy of 994 in Pennsylvania
Hot days20 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns229th most of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights111 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 52% of U.S. towns211th fewest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Growing season186 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 51% of U.S. towns321st longest of 1,006 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Akron weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Akron’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January39°22°3.0"6.1"10721° – 38°
February42°23°2.5"7.4"9921° – 41°
March51°31°3.7"3.4"11335° – 50°
April64°40°3.7"0.2"11047° – 57°
May73°50°3.7"0.0"13057° – 67°
June81°60°4.2"0.0"11067° – 74°
July86°65°4.5"0.0"10071° – 79°
August84°63°4.2"0.0"10069° – 76°
September77°56°4.6"0.0"10063° – 70°
October65°44°4.2"0.3"10050° – 61°
November54°34°3.1"0.6"10038° – 48°
December43°27°3.5"3.4"11226° – 46°
Year63°43°44.9"21.4"12422
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Akron’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 Akron’s center.
  • Snow: Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower; 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 Akron’s climate

What is the weather like in Akron?

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Akron in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.

How much snow does Akron get?

About 21 inches in a normal winter at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.

How hot does it get in Akron?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA).

When is the first and last frost in Akron?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 186 frost-free days, at Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA.

What growing zone is Akron in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.

What is the best time of year to visit Akron?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Akron getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Akron.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.