Photo: Nyttend · Public domainAfternoon heat in Benson trails that of 83% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 18°. In January, nights here are colder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in February. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Benson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Benson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Benson’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Benson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Benson’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Boswell, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Benson
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA.
Living with Benson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Benson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Benson and its neighbors
Quemahoning Township has the coldest January nights next door (17°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Benson’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson, PA | 18° | 82° | 46" | 65" |
| Rowley, MA | 18° | 81° | 48" | 62" |
| Newmarket, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 65" |
| Stafford, CT | 17° | 82° | 48" | 64" |
| Kent, NY | 18° | 83° | 48" | 58" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Benson averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Benson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Benson’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Benson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Benson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Boswell, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.5" | 17.9" | 15 | 19 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 3.1" | 19.9" | 13 | 18 | 17° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 4.0" | 8.2" | 11 | 8 | 30° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 4.0" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 50° | 30° | 3.3" | 3.8" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 3.7" | 13.1" | 14 | 13 | 21° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 46.2" | 64.6" | 137 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Benson’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 Benson’s center.
- Snow: Boswell, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft higher; 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 Benson’s climate
What is the weather like in Benson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Benson in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Benson get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Boswell, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Benson?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Benson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 136 frost-free days, at Ebensburg Sewage Plt, PA.
What growing zone is Benson in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Benson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Benson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Benson.
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.