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Climate in Bala Cynwyd · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Bala Cynwyd gets more rain and snow than 73% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year

July afternoons average 87°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 62% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.1° above 1901–2000. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.

Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns#17Least snow  of 905 in PA
Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns#10Mildest winters  of 915 in PA
All PA rankings →

A year in Bala Cynwyd at a glance

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

Jan41°25°
Feb43°26°
Mar52°33°
Apr64°42° Last frost ~Apr 15
May74°52° 2 days 90°+
Jun82°62° 7 days 90°+
Jul87°68° 13 days 90°+Wettest
Aug85°66° 8 days 90°+
Sep78°58° 3 days 90°+
Oct66°47° First frost ~Oct 31
Nov now55°37°
Dec45°30°

What stands out about Bala Cynwyd’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Bala Cynwyd feels like

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

Winter
43° / 27°
3 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
63° / 42°
Last frost around Apr 15
Summer
85° / 65°
40 days reach 90°
Fall
67° / 47°
First frost around Oct 31
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 199 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 31. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Phila Franklin Inst, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Pennsauken 1n, NJ, 11 miles away.

62
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
The fewest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Fewer freezing nights than 75% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
40
days that reach 90°
The most of 915 in Pennsylvania
More 90° days than 70% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 100°
14th most of 915 in Pennsylvania
More 100° days than 78% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Bala Cynwyd’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

25
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

13
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 8 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Conshohocken, PA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
253rd wettest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns
7.6"
Snow in a normal winter
17th least snowy of 905 in Pennsylvania
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns
9 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
The fewest of 745 in Pennsylvania
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 62% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.8"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Bala Cynwyd

81% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.

4,858 heating degree daysLess heating than 60% of U.S. towns
1,171 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 64% 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 Pennsauken 1n, NJ.

Living here

Living with Bala Cynwyd’s climate

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

The garden window

199 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 31.

Get outside

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

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bala Cynwyd from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Bala Cynwyd and its neighbors

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

Narberth: January low 24°, July high 87°Wynnewood: January low 25°, July high 87°Haverford Township: January low 25°, July high 87°Radnor Township: January low 24°, July high 87°West Conshohocken: January low 24°, July high 87°Penn Wynne: January low 25°, July high 87°Whitemarsh Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Upper Merion Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Bryn Mawr: January low 24°, July high 87°Conshohocken: January low 24°, July high 87°Bensalem Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Upper Darby Township: January low 26°, July high 87°Yeadon: January low 26°, July high 87°Andalusia: January low 25°, July high 88°Colwyn: January low 26°, July high 88°Tinicum Township: January low 27°, July high 88°Darby Township: January low 26°, July high 88°Folcroft: January low 26°, July high 88°Camden: January low 26°, July high 88°Cheltenham Township: January low 25°, July high 87°Pennsauken Township: January low 25°, July high 88°Merion Station: January low 24°, July high 87°Lower Merion Township: January low 24°, July high 87°Philadelphia: January low 25°, July high 87°Bala Cynwyd: January low 25°, July high 87°Bala CynwydMerion StationLower Merion TownshipPhiladelphia
ColderMilder23° to 27°
Merion Station24.3° about the same
Lower Merion Township24.3° about the same
Bala Cynwyd24.7°
Philadelphia25.1° about the same

Climates most like Bala Cynwyd’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
Bala Cynwyd, PA25°87°48"7.6"
Danville, KY25°86°49"7.4"
Huntington, WV25°87°46"10"
Vincennes, IN23°88°47"8.5"
Elizabethton, TN26°86°47"6.0"

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 Bala Cynwyd averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+2.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 93% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 35°, was 32°
Spring+1.8°now 53°, was 51°
Summer+1.9°now 75°, was 73°
Fall+1.8°now 57°, was 55°

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 Bala Cynwyd compares

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

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns44th hottest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Winter cold25° January low
Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns10th mildest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns253rd wettest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Snow7.6" a winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns17th least snowy of 905 in Pennsylvania
Hot days40 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 70% of U.S. townsThe most of 915 in Pennsylvania
Freezing nights62 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 75% of U.S. townsThe fewest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Growing season199 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 66% of U.S. towns93rd longest of 915 in Pennsylvania
Month by month

Bala Cynwyd weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bala Cynwyd’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Conshohocken, PA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January41°25°3.4"2.7"9325° – 40°
February43°26°2.8"2.4"9324° – 42°
March52°33°4.1"0.6"10237° – 51°
April64°42°3.7"0.1"11049° – 58°
May74°52°3.8"0.0"11058° – 68°
June82°62°4.3"0.0"9069° – 76°
July87°68°4.8"0.0"9072° – 81°
August85°66°4.5"0.0"9071° – 79°
September78°58°4.6"0.0"8065° – 72°
October66°47°4.0"0.0"9052° – 63°
November55°37°3.3"0.2"8040° – 51°
December45°30°4.3"1.6"10129° – 50°
Year64°45°47.6"7.6"1119
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Bala Cynwyd’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 Bala Cynwyd’s center.
  • Snow: Conshohocken, PA.
  • Frost dates, heating and cooling: Pennsauken 1n, NJ, 11 miles away.
  • Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Phila Franklin Inst, PA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Bala Cynwyd’s climate

What is the weather like in Bala Cynwyd?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Bala Cynwyd in winter?

January nights average 25°. About 62 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.

How much snow does Bala Cynwyd get?

About 7.6 inches in a normal winter at Conshohocken, PA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.

How hot does it get in Bala Cynwyd?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 68°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pennsauken 1n, NJ).

When is the first and last frost in Bala Cynwyd?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 199 frost-free days, at Pennsauken 1n, NJ.

What growing zone is Bala Cynwyd in?

Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.

What is the best time of year to visit Bala Cynwyd?

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

Is Bala Cynwyd getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bala Cynwyd.

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.